Moments in Time
by Musical Soul
Summary: A series of oneshots from my songfic Beneath Your Beautiful. Parts of this will be a good bit darker than the original fic, a bit more descriptive. Some sad moments, some happy moments, lots of fluff! No end to this in sight yet, just writing oneshots as ideas come to me.
1. Schoolyard Bully

**Author's note - Here's the first of a series of oneshots from the Beneath Your Beautiful songfic! I have no clue how many of these I'll do. I'll just go until I have no more ideas! These won't be super long. To begin with, they will all be moments mentioned in BYB, or at least happen sometime within the time frame of BYB. I plan to do a few more oneshots later on that happen after BYB. So keep looking for more! Anyway, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer - Unfortunately, I do not own Frozen.**

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Schoolyard Bully

Sunlight streamed in through Elsa's window, washing the bare walls in a pale orange glow. She was sitting up in bed, her knees drawn up to her chest and her arms wrapped around them. She stared at the wall opposite her, her mind blissfully blank for once. She hadn't gotten any sleep the night before, nightmares waking her up at least once every hour. Luckily, she was used to going to school with slightly bloodshot eyes. No one asked questions anyway.

After a while, she glanced at the alarm clock beside her bed. Seven o'clock. Time to get a shower. And take a hurried glance at the mirror. The mirror was always the hardest part of her day. It never showed her what she wanted to see.

Elsa got slowly out of bed, her sore muscles complaining with every step she took. She swallowed the pain, like normal. She had to get to school, even if she hurt. She didn't want anyone asking questions. She got a quick shower, avoiding looking at herself for as long as possible. Then, the mirror. She shuddered.

Elsa took a deep breath and then glanced at her reflection. She breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of her clear face. She had been positive that last hit would have left a bruise. That would have been hard to explain to her teacher. Elsa took a timid glance at the rest of her body. A few new bruises...that was to be expected. The one that spread across her ribs on the left side of her body was the worst. That one hurt, badly. It was nothing she couldn't handle, though.

The difficult task of looking in the mirror now complete, Elsa set about getting ready for school. She stayed upstairs as long as she could, wanting to make sure that her parents had left for work before she went down for a hurried breakfast. She gulped down a small bowl of cereal before rushing out the door. Her walk to school wasn't far, but she would be late if she didn't hurry.

Elsa slipped in the door to her second grade classroom at the last possible moment, making her way to her desk and ignoring the stares. They always stared at her. She assumed it was because she didn't talk. Still, it was rude of them. It didn't bother her...much...but it was still annoying. Sitting down at her desk, she took out her assignment from the night before, getting it ready to hand in.

Her teacher, Mrs. Moore, swept past, reaching out for all the assignments. Elsa handed hers in wordlessly. She saw Mrs. Moore glance at her long-sleeved shirt; Elsa prayed a silent prayer that she wouldn't ask any questions. When the teacher finally turned and walked away, she let out a quiet sigh. It was almost summer, and it was hot enough now that most of her classmates were wearing shorts and t-shirts. But Elsa didn't own t-shirts or shorts, and for a good reason.

The day went by slowly, but that was perfectly alright with Elsa. She liked school a lot more than she liked home. Home was awful. Home never really felt like _home_. Just after lunch, her class made their way out to the playground for recess. Her favorite time of the day. She carried a book under one arm, searching for a good tree to sit under. She would have gone to her usual one, but there was already a group of girls under it. _Mrs. Howell's class must have come out early. Great._

She spotted a promising tree by the swings. A boy was sitting in one of the swings on the end, but she could avoid him. Elsa walked across the playground, dodging all the other children, and sat beneath the large tree. She leaned her back against it before opening her book, _Little House in the Big Woods_. It was the first book in her favorite series. She had read them all a couple of times already, but she always loved rereading them.

Elsa had only been reading for a few minutes when her book was snatched from her fingers. She flinched slightly, looking up to see a boy with sandy-colored hair sneering down at her. Her face went from confused to terrified faster than a set of traffic lights went from red to green. _Oh dear. This won't be good. Why can't Jace leave me alone?_

"Give it back, please," she begged, hoping that he would listen for once. She shouldn't have bothered with hoping; it was useless. She tried to keep from crying, but her rebellious eyes leaked out a few tears anyway.

"I don't listen to cry babies," he spat, dangling the book above her head. He wanted her to make a grab for it, but she had done that enough times by now to know that it was a bad idea. She didn't need him adding a few more bruises to her extensive collection. Once again, she wondered where all the teachers were when things like this happened.

Suddenly, another voice broke the silence. "Give her the book back, Jace," a boy said. Elsa glanced up quickly, sneaking a look at him. He was tall, with dark brown hair that stuck up all over the place. He had his arms crossed in front of him, a frown on his face. She couldn't bring herself to look into his eyes; she could never look people in the eyes. They might see what she was hiding.

Jace scowled at the new boy. "What makes you think I'm gonna listen to you?" he asked, his voice laced with disgust. Elsa wanted to warn the new kid about that tone of voice; she knew it all too well. As always, though, she kept quiet. _Please go away. I don't want him hurting you too. I'm not worth the trouble anyway._

To Elsa's surprise, Jace actually gave up. "Fine, whatever," he said, tossing the book at her face. She snapped her hands up to catch it, narrowly avoiding being punctured with the corner of the book. She sat there, shocked, for a few seconds. Jace had never given up before. This new boy must have intimidated him. _That can't be a good thing..._

The brown-haired boy knelt down beside her. He was so close that she could feel the warmth radiating from him. She winced, bracing herself for some form of contact, but it never came. The kind boy kept his hands to himself. Figuring that she should probably say something, she swallowed, trying to prepare herself for speech. "Thank you," she whispered.

"You're welcome. He's just a big bully. Thinks he can pick on anyone he wants." Oh, how well Elsa knew that. "He didn't hit you with that book, did he?"

She couldn't trust herself to speak anymore, so she settled for shaking her head. There was silence for a few seconds, before she heard his voice again.

"Do you want to come try out the swings with me?" he asked.

Elsa blinked a few times, caught off guard. Was he trying to be her friend? She wasn't sure; she didn't have any friends to base this experience on. Her eyes made their way up to his chest before she caught herself. _No, looking at the eyes is bad. Don't do it. He'll find out. Just say no, you don't need a friend._ She was lying to herself, of course. She desperately needed a friend. Regardless, she ended up shaking her head again.

"Alright then." She could have sworn that she heard disappointment in his voice. "Well, if he picks on you again, you let me know, and I'll stop it."

He had surprised her again. Why would he want to stop Jace from picking on her? Wasn't that something friends would do? _You don't have any friends_, her brain politely reminded her. She clenched her jaw, but decided to satisfy the boy and nodded her head in agreement. _I could never get you involved in all this._

More silence, before... "My name is Noah, by the way. What's yours?"

Elsa's heart clenched in fear. She hated telling people her name. They might find out where she lived. But, this boy was nice. And he had shared his name with her. She should do the same. It took a bit to work up the nerve, but she finally whispered, "Elsa."

"That's a pretty name. Well, anyways, I'll let you read now."

Elsa felt him rise beside her as he got up to walk back towards the swings. She followed his feet with her eyes before chancing a glance farther up. She took in his tall form, that messy hair, his dark green t-shirt. She was fascinated. No one had ever been so kind to her before. She stared at him, watching him walk away, part of her wishing that he had stayed.

Her heart jolted when he looked over his shoulder at her. She met his dark green eyes for just a second before looking back down at her book. Heat crept up her cheeks. _That was close._

Late that night, Elsa lay in bed, staring at her ceiling. She had been thinking of Noah all day since their encounter on the playground. It resulted in her being a bit spaced-out when her parents were talking to her, which ultimately resulted in a slightly rougher beating than normal. She didn't really care though. For once, she had something to think of that was happy.

Elsa could picture him clearly in her mind. She hadn't forgotten a single detail. She saw his chocolate brown hair blowing in the breeze, his tall form standing beneath a tree. He had his arms crossed, and his beautiful green eyes were smiling. She imagined a smile playing about his lips. It brought a smile to her own.

He had said her name was pretty. No one had ever told her that before. Why would he say that? It couldn't be true, could it? Nothing else about her was pretty, so her name couldn't be either. Still, his words rang in her ears. She could still remember the pitch of his voice, the tone he had used when he had told her that. Elsa wasn't sure she could ever forget it. She thought of his name, smiling. She liked it. It felt pleasant in her head, and she was sure that it would roll off the tongue quite nicely, but she didn't want to speak for fear of waking up her parents. So she settled for letting it rattle around in her brain until she fell asleep. _Noah._


	2. Savior

**Author's Note - Alright, so this one is a good bit darker than anything else I've written so far. It's a bit more descriptive, though mostly of the aftereffects, not the actual event. This covers the time Noah caught Jace beating Elsa up in the alleyway. If you don't like that kind of thing, skip it! I promise there will be more fluff after this!**

**Also, if you have any ideas for oneshots that you'd like to see, let me know. I'm open to suggestions :)**

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Savior

Middle school was of the devil, Elsa decided. She had never encountered a larger group of moody, angry, spiteful people in all her life. Granted, most people in the school ignored her, just like they did everyone else. There were, however, a select few that decided they wanted to make her life hell. Unfortunately, it already was without them, so they were just making it worse.

Secretly, she desperately wished that she had accepted Noah's invitation to join him on the swings a few years back. She could have used a friend these past few years. She could really use a friend now. Elsa was afraid that her voice would stop working completely from disuse. Her teachers all knew that she didn't talk now, so even when she changed grades, they never bothered to ask her name or make her do assignments that involved speaking. They all assumed that Elsa had some sort of complex or disability. That was alright with her, as long as she didn't have to talk to anyone.

The afternoon sun beat on her back as she walked home from school. Elsa didn't live very far from the school building, but even if she had, she would have walked. She didn't like the bus...kids were even meaner on the bus than they were in the hallways or in gym class. She took a turn between two buildings, the cool and dark refreshing after the heat of the bright sunlight.

Elsa looked up quickly at a noise in front of her. The blood drained from her already pale face. Jace was standing at the end of the alleyway, and the look on his face said that he meant business. She looked over her shoulder to see another boy behind her, his glare telling her all she needed to know.

Elsa looked forward again to see Jace coming at her. She knew exactly what this was about. She had shamed him, embarrassed him. He wanted revenge. Elsa swallowed nervously. She should have just accepted it, should have just told him yes. It was right in the middle of the hallway, tons of people watching, and she had told him no. Actually, she had looked at him with disgust and told him "Hell no." _Shouldn't have done that. I know he didn't really want me as his girlfriend, he just wanted a plaything, but that wouldn't be as bad as this...would it?_ She was already beaten at home and she wasn't looking forward to her classmates joining in on the fun.

"_So_," Jace said with disgust, backing her up against the brick wall behind her. He crossed his arms, the other boy coming up behind him and doing the same. Jace wasn't a large boy; he was, in fact, rather small compared to some of his classmates. But he was still larger than her; and he had help. This wasn't going to be pretty.

"Thought you would just say no to me in front of everyone, huh? Thought you'd make me look like an idiot?" he growled, shoving her, making her stumble backwards. _No, you do that well enough on your own,_ she thought.

"I don't enjoy being humiliated, bitch. And you're gonna pay for it," he snarled. Elsa flinched as he drew back his fist. She closed her eyes, bracing herself. His fist made contact with her cheekbone, slamming her head back against the brick. A tear leaked out of the corner of her eye. At least he didn't hit as hard as her father.

She semi-blacked out as he continued, trying to shut out the pain. She was dimly aware of Jace spouting a stream of insults at her. He continuously pummeled her; chest, legs, arms, face, he didn't seem to care where. She blinked slowly, trying to stay focused. Somehow, she had ended up on the ground. Jace gave her one more good kick to the ribs before taking a break. He was breathing heavily, his eyes black with hatred and anger. Elsa looked up at him, his eyes telling her that she was about to die. He was going to end her life, right here, and no one would care. _Well, Noah might_, she thought hazily.

Suddenly, Jace's head snapped up, looking back down the alleyway. Someone was shouting at him, running towards them. Elsa wasn't coherent enough yet to hear what was said, but she could tell it was a boy. Jace and the other boy that was there fled, running to the other end of the alley and sprinting down the street. Footsteps pounded on the concrete near her head, as the nice boy stopped right in front of her. He knelt down and Elsa's heart stopped. _Noah._

"Elsa, are you alright?" he asked, panic in his eyes. He seemed genuinely concerned for her. She blinked a few times, everything finally coming back into focus. Elsa pushed up into a sitting position, wincing. She mentally tallied all her aches and pains...not as bad as it could have been. She'd had worse from her parents. Elsa rubbed a hand across her split lip, looking down at the blood glistening on the back of her hand.

"Fine," she mumbled. That was about the only response she was able to give at the moment. She stood up gingerly, inhaling sharply as she put pressure on her left leg. That hurt. She was terrified that it was broken. She would have to take a look when she got home; maybe it was just a large, deep bruise.

Noah's voice broke the silence. "Elsa, please, let me help you. Let me call my mom, she'll come get us and she can drive you home, or to the hospital."

Panic swelled in her. No, no, no. He couldn't do any of those things! They would all find out, everyone would know. And then her parents would surely kill her. "N-no, please. Just...just leave me alone," she begged. Elsa started to walk slowly down the alleyway, wincing every time she put pressure on her left leg. _God, that hurts. Please, please, don't let it be broken._

She heard footsteps behind her. Noah was following her. "Elsa, at least let me walk you home," he pleaded. _Why do you want to help me, Noah? Why do you even care? I didn't even know you remembered me. _

Finally, she found her voice again. She couldn't let him know what was going on, she couldn't get him involved. That would only make things worse. "Please, no, j-just...I can do it. Please, Noah, just leave me alone."

She heard him stop behind her. Elsa had no clue why that had worked, but she was thankful nonetheless. The walk home from there was incredibly painful. She'd never had to suffer through worse in her life. She prayed a silent thank you the whole way home that it was Friday. She could rest tomorrow. Maybe her leg would be easier to walk on by Monday.

At long last, her house was in front of her. Elsa trudged up the sidewalk, stopping at the base of the porch steps. She gritted her teeth, sucking in a breath as she took the first step up. _Oh God, the stairs are going to be impossible. Guess I won't be eating dinner tonight._ She finally made it to the front door, unlocking it and limping inside. She had been wrong when she'd thought that the walk home was the worst thing she had ever been through. The stairs were horrible. Tears streamed down her face as she pulled herself up them slowly, one step at a time. Finally, she was at the top, her breath coming in ragged gasps.

Elsa pushed her way into her room, crossing to her dresser to grab some clean clothes. She hobbled into the bathroom, turning on the hot water for a shower. She wasn't sure how much longer she could stand, but she had to get cleaned up. She didn't want to get blood in her bed. Elsa knew from experience that blood was incredibly difficult to clean up, and it never washed out of the sheets.

The hot water poured down onto her skin, temporarily melting away the pain. She soaped up as best she could, trying to wash away the blood. There seemed to be a lot of it, and she wasn't sure where it had all come from. Reaching up, she felt the back of her head, bringing her fingers away to see blood shining on them. _Great, so he busted my head too._

Elsa washed the blood out of her hair, constantly having to steady herself with a hand against the wall of the shower. She was trembling from having to put all her weight on one leg; one that was bruised and sore, to make matters worse. She climbed out of the shower, drying off as quickly as she could and throwing her pajamas on. Elsa stumbled to her bed, crying out as she hit the mattress a little harder than intended. Her muscles just wouldn't support her anymore.

She normally hated going to bed with her hair wet, but she didn't care right now. Elsa thought she might be sick if she had to support herself anymore. She trembled violently against the mattress, her face pressed into the covers. She shifted just a little, wiggling up to the top of the bed to rest her head against her pillows. Elsa let out a sigh.

She drifted in and out of consciousness, her aching body trying to save her from the pain as much as possible. She was rarely coherent that night, her mind a haze of pain and depression. The only thoughts that she would ever remember the next morning were of Noah. He had saved her. He had stopped Jace from killing her. She would probably never know why, but she would be forever grateful.

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That weekend was the worst of her life, by far. Her parents had not appreciated her lethargy, and decided that a good beating would fix it. Elsa knew that if she let on how much her leg hurt, they would just hurt it more, and then she would be forced to go to the hospital. So she gritted her teeth when they forced her to stand, her face pale and slightly sweaty, on the verge of being sick. But she did it. She made it through. By Monday, the pain in her leg had lessened somewhat. She allowed herself to limp to school, but she swallowed the pain and walked as normal as possible when she got into the building.

Elsa had to use a good bit of makeup to cover the bruise on her cheek that Jace had given her. It was one of the reasons her parents rarely ever hit her face; it was too easy for people to find out what happened at home. Luckily, no one seemed to notice; or maybe they just didn't care.

About halfway through the school day, she excused herself from class to be violently sick in the nearest bathroom. The pain of having to walk on her injured leg was getting to her. She stood at the sink, shaking, trying to clean herself up. She looked like a complete mess. Her face was even paler than normal, and she knew that it wouldn't be long before someone noticed. She would just have to tell them that she was sick.

Elsa walked out of the bathroom, on her way back to class. She had barely made it a handful of steps down the hallway when someone called her name.

"Elsa!" Her heart clenched painfully in her chest. _Noah._ He caught up with her, stopping by her side and putting a hand to her shoulder. She looked at him for just a moment before glancing back at the floor, not wanting him to see the haze of pain in her eyes.

"Elsa, are you alright? You're not...not hurting too bad?" he whispered.

An unfamiliar, hot feeling swept through her veins and heat crept up her neck. _Why do you even care, Noah? No one else does. _"I'm fine," she mumbled, her voice cracking.

"You look awful, Elsa. Do I need to take you to the nurse?"

Panic flared in her, along with that unfamiliar feeling once again. Her heart pounded in her chest. _No, please, no. The nurse would be a very bad idea. Father would kill me. _"N-no, please. I'm just...a little sick."

"Oh. Well, the nurse could call your parents and get them to come get you."

Sweet, sweet Noah. He couldn't know that it would have been even worse if she had called her parents. Elsa shuddered at the thought of what they would do to her if she had the school nurse call them. "No, it's fine." She started walking back to class again, leaving him standing in the hallway behind her.

That night, Elsa lay in bed, shaking. She had managed to swipe a handful of pain pills from her parents' medicine cabinet without them knowing, and she hoped the two she had taken would be kicking in any time now. She tried to make sense of the strange heat that swept through her at Noah's words that morning. Try as she might, Elsa just couldn't figure out what it was. She thought of him all night, her tired brain muddling her thoughts and unconscious feelings until she couldn't tell what was a dream and what was real, conscious thought.

Elsa woke late at night, drenched in sweat. She shivered, feeling like she was going to freeze to death. She knew she had a fever; she'd had a fever every night since Jace had assaulted her. Pulling two more pain pills out of her bedside cabinet, she popped them into her mouth, dry swallowing them. She had been having very strange dreams, all of them involving Noah. _Noah...sweet Noah. Thank you for caring. I don't know why you do, but thank you._ She spent the rest of the night drifting in and out of sleep, her thoughts and dreams filled with Noah, and that blissful heat that she still couldn't figure out. It would be a few months before she realized that it was love.


	3. A New Beginning

**Author's Note - Alright, as promised, a little less depressing in this chapter! Also, thank you all for the favorites and follows! Much love!**

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A New Beginning

Seventh grade. Elsa hoped it wouldn't be as bad as the previous year; that had been torture. She had eventually recovered from the traumatic meeting with Jace in the alleyway, but it had taken a while. She was sore for weeks. She was convinced that she'd had a hairline fracture in her leg, but she'd been too afraid to go to the doctor. So she walked on it as best she could, letting it heal naturally. Probably not the best idea, but what choice did she have?

Taking a deep breath, Elsa pushed open the doors to the school, heading for her new locker. Hopefully Jace wasn't anywhere near her on the hallway, or in any of her classes. If he was, she was going to have another miserable year in school. A few years back, school had been her escape; the one place she felt most at home, if you could call it that. But reaching middle school had changed all that. Jace made sure of it.

Pulling out all her new notebooks, she stuffed them all in her locker, save one. Elsa made her way slowly down the hall, dreading having to walk into the classroom. Her heart thumped in her chest, nerves keeping her on edge. _Please, oh please, don't let Jace be in there._ Taking another deep breath, she walked through the classroom door, her eyes flitting around the room, looking for a mop of sandy blond hair. Her heart clenched in fear. _Oh no..._

Realizing that she was standing in the doorway keeping anyone else from entering, she quickly walked to the back of the class and sat down in a desk in the corner. Jace hadn't seen her, but it wouldn't be long before he noticed that she was in the class. He seemed to have a radar that was tuned specifically to her; if she was anywhere near him, he would find out. Elsa quietly pulled out her notebook and stared at it, biting her lip and tapping her pencil against the desk.

A voice pulled her out of her thoughts. "Well, hello there." She snapped her head up, her eyes meeting a pair of dark green ones that nearly melted her heart. _Noah. Thank God._

Noah smiled at her. "It's good to see you. Do you mind if I sit next to you?"

_Why on earth would you want to do that? _Elsa shook her head, scooting her backpack closer to her so he could walk past her desk. She avoided his gaze, trying to hide the flush that had rushed to her cheeks at the sight of him.

Noah pulled out his own notebook and pencil, glancing up at the clock above the whiteboard. They still had a few minutes before first period began. "So, did you have a good summer?" he asked. Elsa shrugged in response.

"Yeah, mine wasn't that great either. My parents went on this three week long cruise and I had to stay with my Granny. She's wonderful, don't get me wrong, and I love her and all. But her house smells weird, and she doesn't like me playing video games." Noah chuckled. "But, she did get me an awesome present! I got a guitar! I was so excited, I'd been wanting to learn how to play for a long time. Mom thinks I have a natural talent for it too; I've picked it up pretty quickly."

Noah paused, not wanting to bombard Elsa with too much chatter. Though she did seem to be enjoying it; a small smile graced her lips. He decided a little more talk might do her good. "The music comes so easily to me. It just kinda...flows from my fingers. I'm sure that doesn't make sense, but...well, that's what it's like. Do you like music?" he asked suddenly, anxious that she didn't care for his topic of choice.

Elsa nodded. _It's my escape. When I can actually listen to it._

Noah smiled. "Ah, good. I was afraid I was boring you."

Another voice suddenly intruded, the body of the person casting a shadow across Elsa's notebook. "Holton, why do you even bother with this slut?"

Noah clenched his jaw and stood up, crossing his arms. He towered over the boy. "Watch your mouth, Parker."

Jace's mouth twitched. "I can say what I want, dumbass."

Noah uncrossed his arms, grabbing a fistful of Jace's shirt. Noah put his face a few inches away from the boy's, his face livid with fury. "I _said_, watch your mouth. You keep away from her, or I'll make sure there's only enough of you left to send home to your mommy in a matchbox," he said quietly, his voice ominously low. Noah released Jace and crossed his arms again, pleased to see that the boy's face was slightly paler than normal.

Jace opened his mouth to retort, but another voice cut him off. "Not fighting, I hope, boys?"

Noah looked up to see a stern-looking woman standing behind Jace, her arms crossed and her foot tapping against the tiled floor. She glanced at him, her eyes softening just a bit around the edges. "No, ma'am, not fighting. Just clearing something up," Noah said. He had a feeling that she had heard the whole exchange, and if the look on her face told him anything, she knew that Jace deserved what he had said.

"Good. Now, take your seats."

Noah sat down, his cheeks still flushed with anger. He'd had enough of Jace bullying Elsa, and he was going to put a stop to it this year. He hoped that she didn't have any classes with Jace but not him. It would make it more difficult to protect her. Looking down at his desk, he saw a slip of paper, the words on it written in a neat, slim handwriting.

_"Thank you."_

He glanced to his left, shooting Elsa a smile. Looking quickly up at the front of the class to make sure the teacher wasn't watching, he hurriedly scribbled a response, asking for her to pass her schedule to him. He slipped the note onto her desk when the teacher's back was turned.

Elsa dug around in her backpack for her schedule, hoping against hope that Noah had more classes with her. She still couldn't believe that he'd stood up for her like that. He had no reason to; they weren't even really friends. _Maybe we will be now...that would be nice._

She passed her schedule to Noah, glancing to the side to see his eyes moving back and forth between her schedule and his. His green eyes were so intense that she was sure he would see right through her if she ever looked into his eyes for very long. Making a mental note to never do that, she looked quickly back down at her desk. Elsa heard the teacher calling the role; she sighed quietly when the teacher skipped her name, merely looking up to find her in the sea of faces. Looking back at her desk, she saw her schedule there, along with another note.

_"It's the exact same as mine!"_

She glanced in his direction, sending him a small smile. The tension that she had felt all morning, which had doubled when Jace had showed up in front of their desks, was now completely gone. She would finally have someone to hang out with. And maybe, just maybe, Noah could keep Jace away from her.

* * *

Elsa had been worried that she would intrude on Noah's time with his friends, but he told her that both of his closest friends were in a different group that year. He was slightly disappointed, but he told her that he would always see them after school and on the weekends. It turned out that he didn't have anyone in his classes to talk to but her, which made Elsa feel slightly bad for him. She never responded verbally to anything he said, but that didn't seem to bother him. Elsa could never figure out why.

True to his word, Noah had kept Jace away from her. The first few weeks of school were filled with attempts by Jace to corner Elsa, or verbally abuse her in front of Noah. Those were ended quickly though. Jace went just a little too far one day, and Noah didn't take it well.

Jace had sauntered up to the pair while they were walking around the track during gym. "Oh, look, it's the lovebirds." Jace and his group of cronies cackled, shoving Elsa with their shoulders as they passed. One of the boys tried to push Noah, but Noah was so tall and broad that he didn't move at all. He sent a glare in the boy's direction.

"Shove off, Jace, I'm warning you."

"Come on, Holton, why don't you share that little whore of yours? She's kinda cute, I could definitely-"

Jace was cut off as Noah gripped the front of his shirt. Noah shoved him backwards, sending Jace stumbling into the grass. He walked forward menacingly, pausing just in front of Jace to put all his weight on his left leg, preparing to give the boy a good kick to the head. Just as he was getting ready to bounce up on the ball of his left foot and spin into his kick, Jace scrambled backwards, his face flooded with panic. Nodding to the boys in his group, Jace backed off and ran away, the others following quickly.

Noah growled, clenching his fists at his sides as he watched the group of boys race off across the track. "I swear, Elsa, I'm not going to put up with that for much longer. If he says one more thing, I promise you, there won't be anything left of him but a smear on the pavement."

Elsa smiled at Noah, chancing a look at his eyes. She couldn't help herself; she had to get a good look at his beautiful eyes every now and then. The warmth that flooded her veins every time she did was like a drug. Right now, though, his eyes were dark with hatred. Elsa bit her lip, looking back at the ground.

"Hey, I'm sorry, I hope I'm not scaring you. I just...I can't believe he's so persistent. And stupid. I'm clearly three times his size, does he really think he can take me? Or does he just not think that I was serious when I said I'd beat him to a pulp?"

Noah shook his head, walking back over to Elsa. He put a hand between her shoulder blades, giving her a gentle nudge to get her walking again. "Come on, let's keep walking before Coach gets on our tails for standing still," he said, smiling.

A shiver ran down Elsa's spine at his touch, heat flaring through her veins and creeping up her neck. Noah rarely ever touched her; he seemed to understand that she didn't really like being touched. But when he did, it always stirred up the butterflies in her stomach. Elsa breathed deeply and ran one of her slightly cool hands across her cheeks, hoping to chill some of the redness out of them.

After that incident, Jace only tried one more time to bully Elsa. He also made the mistake of attempting to take a swing at Noah, who had Jace pinned to the ground so fast that no one had seen how he'd done it. That had officially ended Jace's attempts to torment Elsa. With the end of the bullying that had been directed at her, Elsa loosened up a little. She was still miserable because of what went on at home, but at least life at school was better. Noah still chattered away to her during the day, not seeming bothered by her lack of response. Elsa enjoyed her time with him more than any other time of the day. The smiles and gentle touches he gave her always sent her pulse racing and heat rushing into her cheeks. By the end of the first month of school, Elsa was positive that this would be the best year she'd had in a long time.


	4. Friends

Friends

Noah lounged in the grass in his backyard, tossing a tennis ball up in the air and catching it on its way back down. He laughed as his Pyrenees, Bear, barked loudly beside him, hopping back and forth in anticipation of having the ball thrown. "Alright, buddy." Noah chuckled, sitting up to toss the ball across the yard. Bear chased after it, his tail wagging furiously as he ran. As expected, rather than bringing the ball back, Bear just sat down in the grass and gnawed on it.

Noah shook his head. "Should have known he wouldn't bring it back. Who knew there were dogs that didn't know how to play fetch?"

Anna laughed, rolling over onto her stomach and propping her chin up on her hands. "He plays fetch with me."

Kristoff snorted beside her. "That's because the dog is in love with you."

"Hey, I can't help that I'm adorable."

Noah and Kristoff laughed. They had been lying in the backyard for a couple of hours now, enjoying some time spent together now that they were in different groups at school. They had all been together last year, and quickly became the best of friends. This year, Anna and Kristoff were in the same group, but they didn't even have lunch or gym with Noah. They had been going over to each others' homes each weekend since school had started a month ago.

The midday September warmth lulled them into silence. Noah's shirt felt comfortably warm against his skin. He closed his eyes, enjoying the peace and quiet with his friends. He opened them again as he heard the screen door snap shut. Looking towards the house, he saw his mother coming out with a pitcher of lemonade and some glasses.

"Anyone want a drink?" she asked, striding across the grass towards them.

"Oh, yes please!" Anna said, sitting up.

Kristoff followed her lead, shaking the grass out of his hair. "Thanks Mrs. H," he said, reaching up for a glass as she poured one.

"Yeah, thanks Mom."

"No problem, dears. There's some fruit salad inside if any of you want a snack." She headed back inside with the half empty pitcher, leaving the back door open but closing the screen. The teens enjoyed their lemonade in silence, the cool liquid tart and refreshing.

"So, Noah. Who's the pretty girl I saw you walking with in the hall the other day?" Anna asked casually, a hint of a smirk on her face.

Noah huffed out a laugh, blushing slightly. "Ah, that would be Elsa."

Kristoff crunched on an ice cube, setting his empty glass in the grass beside him before laying back down. "Isn't she that chick that doesn't ever talk?"

"Yeah, that's her."

Kristoff chuckled. "Aaaannnnd why would you want to talk to someone who doesn't talk back?" Anna smacked his arm.

"Kris!"

"What? It was an honest question!"

Noah shook his head. "She needs it, Kris. You don't have any idea. I mean, I really don't either, but I see it in her eyes. She's hurting. She needs someone to talk to. I'll get her to speak one of these days. It might take a few months, or years even, but I'll keep trying. She's holding something in, hiding something."

"Why do you care, man?"

"Would you care if Anna was hiding something?" The silence made Noah chuckle. He glanced at his friends, both of them blushing a little. After a few seconds, Kristoff finally managed to find his voice again.

"We've been friends for a while now, Noah. Of course I would care if Anna was hiding something. But why do you care about Elsa? I didn't even know you knew her."

Noah sighed, twirling his empty glass in his hands. He honestly wasn't sure how to answer Kristoff's question. He'd never really talked to Elsa until this year, and she never responded to anything that he said. He didn't know much at all about her personality. But something just drew him to her. "Well, the first time I met her, we were eight. Our classes shared the playground at recess. I stopped Jace from picking on her." Noah's eyes darkened and he clenched his jaw, griping the glass in his hands tighter than necessary. "It wasn't the last time I'd do that either."

Anna frowned, concerned. "What?"

Noah shook his head, reaching out to rub Bear's nose as he came to lay down beside them all. "He's been...bullying her. As far as I can tell, this has been going on for years. I never told you guys what I saw him doing at the end of last year, did I?

Anna and Kristoff both shook their heads. Kristoff sat up again, crossing his legs and resting his elbows on his knees.

Noah put his head in his hands, not really wanting to relive that moment, but wanting them to understand why he needed to talk to Elsa. "I was on my way home after school, and I had turned into that alleyway between Thompson's drugstore and that hobby shop. Well...halfway down the alleyway was Jace. There was another boy with him, one of his cronies. They were standing over Elsa. She..." He paused, slightly choked up. "She was bleeding and bruised, and I know he had just kicked her." Anna gasped, clapping a hand to her mouth.

Noah looked up, his eyes clouded with sadness. "I don't even think that was the worst of it. I ran at them, and Jace and his friend fled. Elsa...she was dazed, out of it. When she stood up, she was shaking, and she could barely walk on her left leg. It was...I really wanted to take her home. I tried to convince her to let me call my mom. But she panicked." He shook his head. "I have no idea why she didn't want help."

Noah clenched his jaw, tugging on his hair in frustration. "That was on a Friday. The following Monday, she looked awful. I saw her in the hallway during class. She looked sick and shaky, and she still had a slight limp. I tried to help her again, but she still wouldn't let me."

He looked up to see a tear trickle down Anna's face. Kristoff was frowning and both of them were slightly paler than normal. Noah sighed. "This year, she's in all my classes. Jace is in a few of them, and he tried to keep on bullying her for the first couple of weeks." Noah's eyes darkened again, going from a dark green to almost black. "But I put a stop to that."

Anna gasped. "Noah, what did you do?"

"Oh, nothing bad. Just scared him. He called her...well, he called her my 'whore' and tried to act as if he wanted to..." Noah balled his hands into fists. "Well, that was a bit too far. I'd been hearing enough from him, and that was the last straw. He tried to make a comment one time after that, and then took a swing at me when I came after him. So I pinned him. Didn't hurt him at all, though by all rights I should have. But he nearly wet himself," Noah snorted.

Kristoff let out a nervous laugh. "So I'm guessing he didn't know you take taekwondo?"

"He does now."

The three of them chuckled. Anna pulled her knees up to her chest, resting her chin on them. "So...you saved the girl, and now you're just trying to get her to talk?"

Noah hesitated. "Well, see, I don't know if I did save her. I mean, sure, I saved her from Jace. But something tells me that she's got other problems. I just want to help," he shrugged, looking down at his hands.

Anna reached out to take his hand. "I know you will, Noah. She'll come around."

"Thanks. Hey, listen. Guys, if you ever see her and get the chance to talk to her, don't let her know I told you this. I mean, I'm pretty sure she would rather I'd never seen that. Just...please don't say anything," he pleaded.

"Promise," Anna said, squeezing his hand.

"Yeah, we'd never say anything, bud." Kristoff clapped him on the shoulder. "Though I wonder what else is bothering her."

"Me too. Hopefully I can get her to talk sometime this year. I tried inviting her over today, but she wouldn't come. She doesn't talk to me you know, except when she's panicking. So all I got was a shake of her head. I just wish she would come out of her shell a little."

"Give her time, Noah. Like I said, she'll come around," Anna said, smiling.

* * *

Noah jumped slightly as someone laid a hand on his shoulder. Looking up from his place in the living room, he saw his father frowning down at him.

"What are you thinking about, son?"

Noah sighed, scooting over to make room for his dad on the couch. "I'm just thinking about Elsa."

"Ah," his father said. They sat there silently for a few minutes before his father continued speaking. "I'm sure everything is fine, Noah. She's probably just really shy."

Noah shook his head. "That's the thing, Dad. I don't think so. I have a feeling that if she actually acted like the real Elsa, she wouldn't be so shy. I don't get glimpses of her eyes very often, because she avoids my gaze like the plague, but when I do...Dad, I see so much pain there. So much hurt, and sadness. For just a second. And then, she looks back down again. I just...I want to help her, Dad. I _know_ there's something wrong."

His father sighed. "Noah. Sometimes, you want desperately to help someone, but that person doesn't want to be helped." He paused, glancing at Noah. "Some people are like that, son. They try to deal with things on their own, because that's how they function. And maybe this is something that you can't help her with. Maybe it's something she has to work through on her own."

"I don't know, Dad. Her eyes are practically screaming for help. I just wish she'd let me in," Noah whispered, putting his head in his hands.

Jim looked down at his hands, shaking his head slightly. His son was much wiser than his mere twelve years of life. Noah had an uncanny ability to read people, and his way with words was impressive, to say the least. "I'm sorry, son. I don't know what to tell you. Keep talking to her, but don't push her. Be her friend. If you're right, she could use one. Maybe, with time, she'll start talking."

Noah slumped into the couch, laying his head back and closing his eyes. "Yeah, maybe. Thanks, Dad."


	5. Clarity

**So the song in this chapter is Clarity, by Zedd. The version that inspired this is a cover by Sam Tsui. I was listening to my music the other day when the idea for this oneshot just popped into my head! Hope you like it! It's a little sad, but I promise the next chapter is happier!**

* * *

Clarity

Elsa was having an extremely rough day. Not that anything in particular was wrong with it, apart from the dismal weather. But the previous night had been hell, and she kept reliving it in her mind. She spent the entire day walking around the school in a fog. She barely paid any attention to where she was walking, let alone to what the teachers were saying. It was extremely unusual for her, because she normally poured everything she had into her schoolwork; it was a way to distract herself from the rest of her life. But it seemed that nothing could hold her attention today other than her vivid memories of the day before.

Noah noticed, of course. He always noticed if she was a little off. He kept sending her worried glances the entire day, giving her small, reassuring touches whenever he could. He knew something was wrong. Elsa hoped he never found out what it was.

About an hour before school let out, the clouds finally decided to let loose their contents. It poured relentlessly, and didn't show any signs of letting up. _Just great. Another thing to add to my wonderful day._ Elsa huffed out a sigh, watching the rain come down through the window beside her. She watched raindrops hit the window and slide down the panes. The sky was crying for her today, since she wouldn't allow herself to do it. Emotions had to be kept on a short leash in her life. She couldn't let them run away with her; her parents didn't appreciate emotion. Especially the emotion she was feeling at the moment. Angrily wiping a tear from her cheek, she turned back to the classroom, staring at the whiteboard but not seeing it.

A gentle hand suddenly rested on her leg. She looked down at it, confused. And then her heart nearly pounded out of her chest. _No no no…stop it! I can't do this. I can't feel like this! Please, don't…_ She looked up at Noah, who was staring at her, concern written plainly on his face. She shook her head, biting her lip to keep more tears from escaping. She turned her gaze back toward the front of the classroom, likely imagining the quiet sigh from Noah's direction.

The clock seemed determined to tick as fast as possible, without letting the rain know that time had passed. It still poured down as hard as ever, as if a storm was just sitting on top of the town, refusing to move. Maybe it was. What had she done to deserve this?

When the bell rang, she got up quickly, not giving Noah time to tell her goodbye like he usually did. She moved as quickly as she could while still concealing the fact that she _hurt like hell_, wanting to get out of the building as quickly as possible. If she had to walk home in the pouring rain, might as well get it over with. She stuffed her books into her locker, then made her way slowly to the nearest door. She stood there for a minute, watching the rain pour down, before finally sighing and pushing the door open. She stood under the awning for a minute, delaying the inevitable. Just as she made to walk out into the rain, a hand on her shoulder forced her to a halt.

Elsa's blood ran cold, before she noticed that the hand on her shoulder wasn't gripping tightly. It seemed friendly. She turned around, barely holding back a sigh of relief when she saw Noah. She looked at his eyes for a few seconds before averting her gaze, hoping that he couldn't read anything in her eyes.

"Elsa…what's wrong?" He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "You've been acting strange all day. I just…I'm worried about you. I know you don't want to talk, but…" He shook his head. "I just want to help," he finished quietly.

She couldn't stop herself from looking into his eyes. She wished she could tell him everything, all of it in one glance. Her heart clenched painfully when she glanced at him, desperately wishing that she didn't go weak at the knees when he looked at her. She just couldn't stop herself from falling for him.

_I dive into frozen waves where the past comes back to life  
__Fight fear for the selfish pain, it was worth it every time  
__Hold still right before we crash 'cause we both know how this ends  
__A clock ticks 'til it breaks your glass and I drown in you again_

She just couldn't bring herself to tell him. It was too hard. But, _oh_, he made it so hard to hold everything in. She lost herself in his gaze, drowned in him. Her love for him swelled her heart, but she fought it, pushed it back. She couldn't love him. If other emotions had no place in her life, love certainly didn't. Somehow, her parents would find out. They always found out everything. She couldn't hide from them. And so she had to hide from Noah. Her heart broke down in tears at that, and her eyes nearly joined in.

'_Cause you are the piece of me I wish I didn't need  
__Chasing relentlessly, I still fight and I don't know why_

Elsa desperately wished that she didn't need him, that she could just turn around and walk away. But his gaze glued her feet to the ground, snared her, wouldn't let her go. She fought the feelings swirling within her with everything she had. It was dangerous to feel like this. But then again, she had nothing else in her life that could make her happy. Was it so bad to have just a little bit of happiness?

_If our love is tragedy, why are you my remedy?  
__If our love's insanity, why are you my clarity?_

It wasn't right, she couldn't let herself feel this way. Even if it would make her happy. She knew it wouldn't end well. She could possibly put his life in danger. She would never, ever want to do that. But he seemed to be fighting as much as she was. She still held his gaze, knowing that she shouldn't, but unable to turn away. She knew this was crazy, so why did she feel like he was pulling her back together, like he was trying to piece together her broken heart?

_Walk on through a red parade and refuse to make amends  
__It cuts deep through our ground and makes us forget all common sense  
__Don't speak as I try to leave 'cause we both know what we'll choose  
__If you pull, then I'll push too deep and I'll fall right back to you_

She desperately hoped that he wouldn't ask any more questions. It was hard enough denying him on a good day, but on a day that she already felt weak? It was almost impossible. Still, she fought. But she knew that if he pulled at her anymore, she might just give in. And she desperately didn't want that, for his sake. With more effort than she had ever put into anything, she tore her gaze from his. She stared at the ground, heart pounding, tears threatening to spill over at any moment.

'_Cause you are the piece of me I wish I didn't need  
__Chasing relentlessly, I still fight and I don't know why_

Tearing her eyes away from his hurt. _Oh, it hurt_. Deep in her heart, she knew she needed him. Desperately needed him. And he seemed to know that, too. Because he never gave up. He always came after her, like he did today. She would probably never know why, but she _desperately_ wished that she did. But then again, maybe it was good that she didn't. She might not be able to walk away if she did.

_If our love is tragedy, why are you my remedy?  
__If our love's insanity, why are you my clarity?_

She looked back at him then, her eyes full of sadness. This could never end well. It just couldn't. A few tears escaped her eyes. Noah reached up to brush them away, letting his hand linger against her cheek. She closed her eyes and inhaled sharply, unable to stop herself from leaning into his hand. She stayed there for just a heartbeat, but even that was too long. With a ragged breath, she drew away, opening her eyes but keeping them focused on the ground. She backed away from him, stepping out into the rain. She flicked her gaze up to his for a split second, trying to send him a desperate apology. And then she ran.

Her feet led her instinctively, taking her usual route home without her having to think about it. It was a good thing too, because she could barely see, what with the rain pouring down and the tears that blurred her eyes. She ran harder than she had ever run in her life, ignoring the pain that made her muscles scream in protest. She ran until she couldn't any longer, and she collapsed to the ground behind a random building. She pulled her knees to her chest, leaning her forehead against them. And then she sobbed.

She had to let it go, had to release some of the emotions that were pulsing through her veins before she got home. She certainly couldn't let her parents see her like this. She would likely get beaten worse than she'd been beaten last night. That thought brought a fresh wave of heaving, convulsive sobs. She had no idea what she had done to deserve this. It was bad enough having parents that cursed her very existence. But then she just had to fall for caring, good, loving Noah. And she could never tell him. Worse even, she had to push him away when she needed him most.

'_Cause you are the piece of me I wish I didn't need  
__Chasing relentlessly, I still fight and I don't know why_

_If our love is tragedy, why are you my remedy?  
__If our love's insanity, why are you my clarity?_

Why did she feel like she'd just ripped out her heart? Why did pushing him away hurt _so badly_? She shook with the sobs that wracked her body. She wasn't sure where she was, but she didn't really care. She was barely aware of the rain that soaked her clothes, chilling her to the bone. The only thought that was in her head was a single word, the name of a boy that she loved with all her heart but _couldn't_ love.

She jumped slightly when something was draped across her shoulders. She brought her head up slowly, blinking back her tears. She swiped at her eyes with a hand, trying to rub away the rain that dampened her face. When she looked up at the person standing above her, she stopped breathing. Her heart stopped beating. Everything froze. _Noah._

He reached down to pull her to her feet, holding his umbrella up so that it covered both of them. He tugged at the jacket he had draped around her shoulders, making sure it wouldn't fall off. He smiled sadly at her, reaching up to brush away a tear that she'd missed. Or was it a new one? She wasn't sure. Her brain wasn't working very well.

His voice was soft when he spoke. "I don't know what's wrong, Elsa. But I promise you, I will always be here for you. One day, I hope you can let me in."

Elsa stared at his eyes, drinking in the sight of them, so full of compassion. She was still crying, and hard, but at the same time, her heart had never felt so full of love. Full to bursting. She wanted to gaze into his beautiful green eyes forever, to lose herself in them, drown in them. She dropped her gaze when she felt something pushed into her hand. An umbrella.

"I had a spare," Noah said softly. "I would have given it to you earlier, but…" He inhaled slowly, as if stopping himself from saying anything else. He smiled again, but his eyes were still sad. He raised a gentle hand to her cheek, stroking her skin with his thumb. Elsa let out a breath that she was sure would give away her feelings, still holding his gaze. Every inch of her froze as he leaned forward, pressing a soft kiss to her cheek. She thought she might never breathe again. She stood there, completely dumbstruck, as Noah pulled back, still smiling that sad smile.

"See you tomorrow."

And then he was gone. She had no idea how long she stood there, umbrella in her hand, Noah's jacket on her shoulders, letting the rain pour down on her. When her brain finally started functioning again, she stood in the rain a bit longer, hoping it would wash away all of her thoughts and emotions. After what felt like days, she finally opened the umbrella and held it aloft, still staring at the space where Noah had been. An eternity later, she began moving her feet. His words rang in her ears. _I will always be here for you. _

When she finally made it home, she trudged up to her room, still completely dazed. She shrugged off the jacket he had given her, holding it in her hands and stroking it. She brought it to her face, breathing in deeply. It smelled like him. She dropped it on her bed as if it had burned her when warmth flared in her veins, just because of the scent. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes, unconsciously rubbing a hand across the cheek he had kissed. _God, I wish I didn't need you, Noah._


	6. A Furry Companion

**Hello all! Another fluffy oneshot for you :) this one happens right after Elsa's first night in Noah's home, right at the end of Chapter 3. Thanks again for all the love! You guys are awesome.**

* * *

A Furry Companion

_Noah looked at her with concern. "Do I need to get some medicine for that?"_

_"No, it's alright. It's not that bad."_

_Noah sent her a skeptical look. "It looks bad to me."_

_"No, really, it'll go away in a day or two. I'm fine," she said quietly, staring at her lap._

_Noah sighed. He decided to let it go for a while. He would keep an eye on her. He suspected that she had more bruises that she wasn't mentioning, but he wouldn't ask. Not yet, anyway. Glancing at her beautiful eyes, so full of sadness, he decided that it was time she had some fun. She needed to be happy._

_"Come on, let's go see if Mom has anything for lunch. And then we're going to have fun."_

* * *

Noah grabbed Elsa's hand, pulling her downstairs. Somehow they had missed seeing his dog Bear last night, and Noah was sure that Elsa would love the big white softy. Bear could be quite energetic sometimes, and he could bowl smaller people over because he was so big, but he had a heart of gold. Plus, Noah knew that dogs make good therapy, so Bear would probably help Elsa feel better, and that was his first priority.

Noah led Elsa into the kitchen, looking for his mother to see what was for lunch. He found her sitting at the breakfast table, a book propped up in front of her. "Morning, Mom."

Sarah looked up from her reading, glancing at the clock on the stove. "Morning? It's almost after noon. You two slept quite a while," she chuckled.

Noah grinned, still holding Elsa's hand. "Yeah, well, we needed it." He glanced at Elsa, who was pointedly looking at the floor. He gave her hand a light squeeze. "So what's for lunch, Mom?"

"Well, what would you like dears? Elsa, is there anything you'd like in particular?"

Elsa blinked, slightly startled at being asked her opinion. _Me? What I want? Why does it matter?_ "Umm, no ma'am, anything is fine," she said quietly.

Sarah frowned. "Well, is there anything you don't like to eat, or that you're allergic to?"

Elsa shook her head.

"Alright then. I'll make us some grilled cheese sandwiches, those are Noah's favorite," she said, smiling.

"Great, thanks Mom! We'll be outside, I want Elsa to meet Bear." Noah began tugging Elsa towards the back door, pushing it open with his shoulder. He let the screen snap shut behind them as they made their way outside.

"Who's Bear?" Elsa asked quietly.

"He's my dog. A Great Pyrenees."

Elsa stopped in her tracks, yanking Noah to a halt. She looked a little nervous. "D-dog?"

Noah frowned. "Yeah. Why, are you scared of dogs?"

Elsa shifted her gaze downward, avoiding eye contact. "Well, I've never really...seen a dog up close before. But I've been chased by a couple of them."

Noah smiled sadly, pulling Elsa into a hug. "Well, I can promise you, you won't be chased by this dog. Unless, of course, you have a tennis ball in your hand. Bear loves tennis balls." Noah chuckled. "Look, Bear is a big softy, he wouldn't hurt a fly. Okay, that's not entirely true, he does like to chase flies. And eat them, if he ever catches them." That got a bit of a laugh out of her. It was the first hint at laughter he'd ever heard from Elsa.

"I promise, Els, he won't hurt you. He might try to lick your face though." Noah pulled back, looking down at Elsa with a smile on his face. "He'll love you, I promise."

She glanced at him uncertainly. "Alright."

Noah grabbed her hand again, pulling her off the porch and out into the grass. Their backyard was fairly large. There was a big open space of grass in the center, and a spattering of trees at the rear of the yard. A tall fence ran around the perimeter, and a large doghouse could be seen sitting among the trees. _Bear must be sleeping. He normally comes running when he hears the screen door close._

Noah let go of Elsa's hand. "Alright, you stay back here for a second. I'll try to get his attention so he doesn't bowl you over. He's pretty good with obeying commands, unless he's extremely excited." Noah waited for her to nod, then took a few steps forward, walking out into the middle of the yard. He cupped his hands around his mouth and called, "Bear!"

They could hear the dog scrambling to his feet in the doghouse. A moment later, a blur of white came streaking out, racing across the yard as fast as it could. Elsa took an involuntary step back. The dog jumped on Noah, trying desperately to lick his face.

"Hey buddy! Hey!" Noah rubbed him all over, then scratched behind his ears. Bear was still trying to lick Noah's face, so he knelt down on the ground, getting closer to Bear's level. The dog immediately began smothering him with sloppy, slobbery dog kisses. Noah laughed.

"Geez, Bear, you saw me yesterday! What's all the love for?" Noah laughed again as Bear licked his chin. He was finally starting to calm down now, and Noah knew he'd see Elsa soon, so he hooked a couple of fingers under the dog's collar. "Bear, I have someone for you to meet. Be calm," Noah said, giving the dog a stern look.

Noah glanced at Elsa to see a small smile on her face. He walked Bear over, still gripping the collar firmly. When Bear finally noticed Elsa, he started to pull at the collar, trying desperately to get to her, whining and barking the whole time. His tongue lolled out of his mouth, making him look extremely goofy.

"Bear, quiet!" The dog immediately stopped barking, but kept straining against Noah's grip. "Bear, calm," Noah ordered. The dog stopped pulling and stood still, though his tail still wagged furiously. Noah chuckled.

"Good boy. Now we can go see her." Noah walked slowly towards Elsa, who took another step back. "It's alright, Elsa. He won't hurt you. Just reach out your hand and let him sniff it." She cautiously followed his instructions, reaching out a hand to Bear's nose. Bear bypassed sniffing and licked it immediately. Elsa smiled.

"Do you want to pet him?" Noah asked. Elsa nodded. Noah ordered Bear to sit and then knelt down beside him, Elsa following his lead. She reached out tentatively to scratch Bear's ear. The dog tilted his head to the side, pressing into her hand. After a few more minutes, Bear was rolled over on his side, Elsa scratching his belly.

"He's cute," she said, smiling.

Noah smiled back at her. "Yeah. He's a bit energetic, but he listens fairly well. I'm surprised, he doesn't let very many people pet his belly. He must like you."

Elsa looked up at him, still rubbing Bear. "Really?"

"Really. He lets me and Mom, and my friend Anna. But that's about it." Noah had let go of Bear's collar by now and was participating in the petting. Bear was soaking it up, loving all the attention he was getting.

"Would you like to play fetch with him?"

"Sure."

Noah went to get a tennis ball. He tossed it up in the air, letting it fall back into his hand. Bear immediately stood up, the sound getting his attention. Noah told Bear to sit, then handed Elsa the ball. "Just toss it over there," he said, pointing. "Let's see if he actually brings it back."

"Does he not normally?" Elsa asked, throwing the ball across the yard. Bear darted after it, his tail wagging furiously. He barked a few times as the ball bounced, before he snatched it up in his mouth. He looked back at Elsa and immediately ran back to her with the ball, dropping it at her feet.

Noah laughed. "Normally, no, he just chews on it. Anna was the only one that could get him to bring it back. Apparently you can too. He must have a thing for pretty girls," Noah said, winking.

Elsa blushed, looking down at the ground. She bent down to get the ball, receiving a sloppy lick on the face. She bit her lip to keep from laughing and scratched Bear behind the ears again before tossing the ball once more. They played fetch for a while, Bear bringing it back each time. Noah just shook his head in amazement.

Noah's mother called out to them from the porch. "Lunch is ready!"

Elsa tossed the ball one more time. Noah came to grab her hand, pulling her towards the porch. "See, I told you he'd like you." Elsa grinned up at him, following him inside.

* * *

After Elsa's admission that she hadn't ever been very close to dogs before, Noah was shocked to see how quickly she took to Bear. When Bear was inside, he was constantly at Elsa's feet. Noah thought Bear could sense that she needed him. He was never overly energetic with her, always gentle and loving.

Elsa loved the attention. She told Noah that she'd never had a pet before, and having Bear to spend time with was something she found she enjoyed. She loved his soft fur and gentle kisses. She wanted to laughed at his antics several times, but it had been so long since she'd laughed that she couldn't make the sound come out.

One afternoon, a couple of days after Elsa came to his house, Noah walked in after taekwondo practice to a sight that made a huge grin spread across his face. Elsa was sprawled out on the couch, sound asleep, with Bear snuggled up with her. They were a tangle of limbs, paws, and fur, Bear's head resting on Elsa's chest. Noah set his things down inside the door and walked over to the couch, sitting down on the floor beside them. He reached up to rub Bear's ear. The dog cracked an eye open, licking his hand.

Noah glanced at Elsa, his breath catching in his throat. She looked so peaceful, her face empty of the usual worry or anxiety that it normally displayed. The gentle rise and fall of her chest drew his gaze, making him blush slightly. He had never seen anyone more beautiful. He'd told her that a couple of times now, but she still refused to believe him. Noah reached up to brush a few strands of hair out of her face, his fingers lingering a little longer than necessary.

Noah jerked around at a sound behind him. His mother had walked into the room, a cup of tea in her hands.

"They played in the yard almost the entire time you were gone to practice," she whispered, sitting down in the chair beside the sofa. "It shouldn't have tuckered her out so much, but I think she's still recovering from whatever happened at home. She seems to get tired easily."

"Yeah," Noah whispered back, still stroking Elsa's hair. "I can't believe all that happened, Mom. She didn't deserve any of it." Tears pricked his eyes, his heart aching for the girl beside him.

"No one ever does, sweetie. Unfortunately, it still happens."

Noah continued to gently brush his fingers across Elsa's hair, tucking loose strands behind her ears. He rubbed the back of his fingers across her forehead, wanting desperately to lean down and give her a gentle kiss. He sighed, dropping his hand to his lap and rising up off the floor.

"I'm going to go get a shower. I'll be down in a bit," he told his mother.

Sarah nodded. She watched her son head upstairs, her heart full of a mixture of pride and sadness. She was incredibly proud of Noah's gentle, caring nature, his wish to take care of Elsa and protect her. It made her heart happy to see the man he was becoming. On the other hand, she was terribly sad for all that Elsa had gone through. It made her ache to hear some of the things Elsa had described to the officer a few nights back.

Sarah knew that if anyone ever needed love and affection, it was Elsa. They had been doing all they could as a family, making sure that Elsa was always with someone, always being cared for. Noah did far more than anyone else, though. He had such a big heart, and Sarah could tell that it was full of love for Elsa. Not a friendly type of love; no, he was head-over-heels, romantically in love. Sarah smiled to herself. _And Elsa loves him just as much, even if she's afraid to show it. Might as well start planning the wedding._


	7. Included

**Here's another lovely oneshot for you all! This one isn't super long, but I really wanted to show Elsa being pulled into Noah's group of friends. There isn't a ton of interaction between them yet, as Elsa's still uber shy. But we'll get there :) enjoy!**

* * *

Included

It was the Monday after Noah had rescued Elsa. He was extremely anxious about going back to school, mostly because he only had a handful of classes with her, and he wanted to be with her all day. He wasn't positive that she wasn't being picked on in her other classes, and with the news of her abuse most likely widespread, he didn't want anything to happen. But, they had to go back to school sooner or later, and Elsa seemed to want to get it over with.

He stopped them outside the school building, about half an hour before school was supposed to start. He pulled her over to a tree out front, standing in the cool shade. Her hand never left his own. Noah could tell she was nervous. He reached up to brush a thumb across her cheek, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "You'll be alright, Els. You have several classes with me. And you have a class with Anna too, don't you?"

Elsa nodded. "Two."

"Good. She'll watch out for you, I promise. And that only leaves one class for you to get through without us. First period, right?" She nodded again. Noah pulled her into a hug, tucking her against him. She buried her head in his chest, gripping him tightly. He rested his chin on the top of her head, not wanting to let her go, but knowing that they needed to get to class.

"Hey, do you want me to tell Anna and Kristoff what happened?" he asked.

"You can, I guess."

Noah tilted her chin up to look into her eyes. "Only if you want me to."

Elsa blinked back a few tears. She bit her lip, thinking. Finally, she nodded. "Please." Wrapping her arms back around Noah, she nestled her head against his neck. She wished that they could stay like that forever. She didn't want to let go of him. _Funny, a few days ago I avoided contact at all costs. Now, I feel like I'm drowning without it._

"I'll tell them before first period, Els. That way you don't have to be there for it." He looked down at his watch, checking the time. "Come on, let's head inside." Just before Elsa walked off to class, he pulled her into another hug. "Sit with us for lunch today, alright?" Elsa nodded her head.

"You won't have to talk to them, I promise. I just want you to spend some time with us. Anna and Kris will understand." He leaned in, his breath tickling her ear, sending a shiver down her spine. "You'll be fine, Elsa." He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. She walked off to class, trying desperately to hide her raging blush.

Noah sat down at the back of the classroom, in his usual desk. Anna and Kristoff weren't there just yet. He sat waiting on them, keeping an eye on the clock. Fifteen minutes until class started. He hoped they would get there soon, so he could tell them everything he needed to. Just as that thought crossed his mind, they walked in, Anna's small hand tucked into Kristoff's much larger one.

"About time," Noah said, exasperated. "Were you two making out or something?" The blushes told him more than he needed to know. "Ugh, okay. Look, I have something important I need to tell you." He glanced around the room, making sure no one else was listening to their conversation.

Anna frowned at the distressed look on Noah's face. "Does this have anything to do with why you weren't at school on Friday?"

Noah sighed. "Yeah, it does. Last Thursday night, I finally decided to go play my song for Elsa. The one I wrote, you know. Anyway, it ended up...well, I guess I touched a soft spot. She broke down in tears. I couldn't just sit there and watch her cry, so I climbed in her window. We sat there for a few minutes." Noah put his head in his hands. "She was sobbing. I had no idea why it upset her so much. It only took a few more minutes before I found out though."

His voice had gotten lower as he spoke, coming out as little more than a growl at his last sentence. "Her bastard of a father came in the room. Drunk as all hell. She got up to protect me." He let out a humorless laugh. "God, I wish she hadn't. He backhanded her, hard." Anna gasped, putting a hand to her mouth.

"That was all it took for me. I had him pinned to the wall in half a second. I was so angry. A bunch of things had clicked into place all at once, and it was all I could do to keep from snapping the man's neck." Anna reached out to place a hand on Noah's shoulder. He lowered his head to his hands again, tears pricking his eyes. "I told her to pack her things. I got her out of the house, and took her to mine. My mom called the police. Thirty minutes later, Elsa's parents were on their way to prison."

Noah shook his head, tears dripping from his eyes onto his desk. He wiped them away and looked up at Anna and Kristoff, both of whom were unusually pale. "The things she told the officer that came to my house, guys. It makes me sick just thinking about it. They beat her, cursed her, barely fed her. Explains why she's so thin." Noah clenched his fists. "She's been abused her whole life. She can't remember a time when her parents _didn't_ hit her," Noah said, disgusted. He glanced around to make sure everyone was still distracted.

"She's staying with us now. She'll probably stay with us until...geez, I don't know. She has nowhere else to go. No other family to take her."

Anna took one of Noah's hands in her own while Kristoff put a hand on his shoulder. "Noah," she said softly. "You make sure Elsa knows that we're here for her, too. Always."

Noah looked up at his friends, thankful. "Anna, I know you have a couple of classes with her that I don't. Do you think you could-"

"You didn't even have to ask, Noah. Of course I'll look out for her."

He breathed a sigh of relief. No one would mess with Elsa if Anna was with her. Anna didn't look it, but she was a fierce individual. She might not have taken taekwondo like Noah, but no one doubted that she could kick butt if she wanted to. "Thanks, Anna. Look, I told Elsa to sit with us at lunch today. I don't think she'll talk to you guys. It will take her a while to get used to...well, having friends. But I know she'll feel better with us there."

Kristoff squeezed Noah's shoulder before dropping his hand to his lap. "She doesn't have to say anything, Noah. We understand. We'll just try to keep her mind off things."

Noah sighed. "Thanks, Kris. And one more thing...Anna, I know you're a touchy-feely person, but-"

Anna cut him off again. "I know, Noah. I'll keep my distance. She needs a good hug, I'm sure, but I bet you've already taken care of that," she said, grinning slyly at him.

Noah laughed, a slight tint to his cheeks. "Yeah, I have."

Anna shook her head, a smile on her face. "Look, Noah, we won't push her. We'll let her go at her own pace with us, don't worry."

"Thanks, guys. You're the best."

* * *

The day went by incredibly slowly for Noah. A week ago, that would have been fine with him, because school was the only time he had with Elsa. Now, he just wanted to get her home and hug her all night long. After first period, things were better though. He saw her frequently throughout the day. She was in all of his AP classes. She didn't talk much at all, unless she knew no one else could hear her. But that was fine with him.

Anna and Kristoff were better than their word. They followed Noah's lead, constantly talking to Elsa about anything and everything. They made her feel included, special. Lunch was easily the best time of the day. They all took their food outside to a picnic table under a tree in the courtyard, enjoying the shade and laughing at the stories Anna was telling. They even got a few smiles out of Elsa.

When they parted ways after school, Anna waving before taking Kristoff's hand and walking away, Noah was glad to say that this was probably the best day of school Elsa had had in a long time. He knew she would wait until they got home to do anything, but he was pretty sure she wanted a hug. They started for home, hand-in-hand.

"Did you have a good day?" he asked.

"It was wonderful, Noah. Best I've ever had," she said, smiling.

"Good. Did anyone say anything to you? Did you get the impression that people knew what happened?"

"No one said anything. But there were more stares than usual. I think most of them know. They left me alone though. When you weren't with me, Anna was, and her glare sent people running if they got close to me."

Noah chuckled. "That's Anna."

Elsa paused, frowning slightly. "Do you...do you think they actually...like me?"

Noah pulled her to a stop, taking her other hand in his own and looking into her eyes. "I know they do. Anna's wanted to talk to you for ages, but she always respected your privacy. She can be a bit much sometimes, and she knows that, so she kept her distance. I think she didn't want to scare you," he said, chuckling again.

"Trust me, they adore you," he said softly. She smiled at him, turning to continue their walk home. _Home. That's an unfamiliar concept to me. But I've never felt more at home anywhere than I do with Noah and his family._

By the time they reached his house, Noah was positive that she needed a hug. He closed the door behind them, dropped his bag beside the door, and tugged her own off her back. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her as close as possible.

Elsa nestled her head in the crook of his neck, breathing him in. She gripped his shirt tightly in her hands, resisting the urge to cry. _How does he know exactly what I need, even before I say anything? _ She took a shuddering breath, squeezing him tighter before pulling back. "Thank you," she whispered.

Noah smiled at her. "Come on, let's go see what Mom has for dinner tonight. Then we can go play with Bear."

"Noah, we have AP Cal homework..."

"Yeah, yeah. We can do it later. It'll take like, ten seconds, now that I've got the smartest girl in the class to help me out," he said, winking.

Elsa grinned, blushing a little at the compliment. She knew he meant it too, he wasn't just trying to flatter her. "Who says I'll help you?"

"Oh, come on! You know you can't resist this," Noah said, putting on his best puppy-dog face.

He was right. Elsa caved, though she was going to help him anyway if he needed it. The puppy-dog face was cute though. "Alright, alright, I'll help you. Though I don't think you need it, you're just as smart as me."

"Nah, you've got me beat for sure. Come on, I know Bear's missed you."


	8. Nightmares

Nightmares

Elsa blinked rapidly, eyes attempting to adjust to the dim lighting. She had been in bright sunlight just a few seconds before, but now everything was dark and cool. _How did I get here? This feels oddly familiar..._

She glanced around, looking for some distinguishing characteristic that would tell her where she was. A few pieces of trash littered the concrete. The brick walls on either side of a small alleyway seemed to close in on her. _Alleyway...oh no..._

A figure appeared at one end of the alley, his golden hair catching the sunlight from the street behind him before he was plunged into darkness. He walked slowly towards her, his gait purposeful and menacing. His face was still obscured from her, but she knew who it was. She should have know earlier. It was always like this.

"Come back for more, Elsa?" he crooned, his voice deceptively smooth.

Elsa shook her head, backing up against the brick wall behind her. "N-no, please..."

He came out of the shadows then, a bright shaft of sunlight falling across his face. Elsa gasped. It wasn't Jace, like it usually was. It was her father. His eyes were bloodshot, irises almost black with hatred. Dark scruff covered his jaw, making him look even more wasted. He grabbed a fistful of her hair, pulling her face close to his own.

Elsa squeezed her eyes shut as the first hit came, her head pounding with the pain of it. _This isn't real, this isn't real! It's just a dream, Elsa! Snap out of it! _She could tell herself that over and over again, but it wouldn't stop it from _feeling_ so real.

"You little _bitch_! You landed me in prison! This is all your fault!" He slammed his fist into her gut, making her double over, wheezing. Spit flew from his mouth as he shouted at her. "You can _never_ escape me! Never! I will always be here to torment you!"

Another voice was trying to intrude, one that Elsa vaguely recognized. She shook her head, not sure if she should trust it.

_"Elsa! Elsa, wake up!"_

Someone was shaking her shoulder. The images disappeared, her actual surroundings coming into focus. Elsa jerked, gasping for breath. Someone was looming over her, his face too close to her own. She scrambled backwards, nearly falling off the bed in her haste. Salty tears ran in streams down her cheeks. She choked out a sob, curling into a ball, trying to protect herself.

"Elsa, it's me, Noah." He put a hand to her shoulder. When she didn't flinch away, he gathered her up in his arms, rocking her slowly back and forth. "Shh, it's alright. It was just a dream." He rubbed her back, his own heart pounding furiously in his chest. She had only been asleep for a few minutes when she began tossing and turning beside him, mumbling in her sleep. When she started whimpering, he knew it wasn't a good dream that she was having. The look of panic in her eyes when he had finally succeeded in waking her broke his heart.

Elsa cried harder than she ever remembered crying. She clutched at Noah like he was her lifeline. He rocked her gently, murmuring soothing words in her ear, but it wasn't helping. She was gasping for breath, but the air wouldn't fill her lungs. She felt like she was drowning. She opened her eyes, looking up at Noah, his face swimming before her.

"N-Noah... C-can't b-breathe," she choked out.

Noah fought the rush of panic that swelled in his veins. He wasn't exactly sure how to deal with this. He'd never seen someone have an anxiety attack before. Still, he had to try something. She was panicking, freezing up. Putting a gentle hand to her cheek, he kept her head turned towards his own.

"Elsa, look at me!" Her eyes found his, but they were glazed over with pain and fear. "Elsa, listen to my voice. Focus on me. I'm right here. I will always be here. Always. I love you, Els." Her eyes slowly focused on his own, the haze leaving them. "That's it, Els. That's it. Just keep thinking about me. It was just a dream, Els. Just a dream."

Elsa gulped in air as soon as he came back into focus, the burning in her lungs finally gone. Tears were still rolling down her cheeks, dripping from her chin and dampening her shirt. She rocked slightly in Noah's grip. "Oh God..."

Noah pulled her back to his chest, threading his fingers into the hair at the nape of her neck. He wrapped her in his strong arms, feeling her tremble against him. "It's alright, Els. I promise, you're safe." Noah gently eased them back down onto the mattress, lying down with her curled against his chest. He rubbed her back soothingly.

"Shh, Els, breathe. Take deep breaths, okay?" She complied, sucking in air as if she hadn't breathed in hours. "Slowly, Elsa." She did her best to slow down her gasps, clenching Noah's shirt tightly in her hands as she breathed in through her nose.

It was a long while before her heart stopped racing. She eventually sagged against Noah's chest, her muscles shaking violently every now and then from being tensed for so long. Elsa took a long, slow breath, letting it out shakily.

"Was it your father?" Noah asked quietly, stroking her hair.

Elsa nodded against him. "In the alleyway where Jace..."

Noah gripped her tighter, holding her as close as he possibly could. Not for the first time, he wished that he could take away all those memories, make her forget everything bad that had ever happened to her. He glanced at his clock. 10:47. His mother was probably still awake. He thrust his hand towards his nightstand, running his fingers along it blindly, searching for his phone. Finally finding it, he brought it close to his face, typing out a hurried message to his mother.

A few minutes later, the door opened, and the jingling of a collar could be heard. Bear jumped up on the bed at Noah's call. He stuck his cold, wet nose against Elsa's neck before giving her cheek a gentle lick.

"Is everything alright?" his mother called softly from the door.

"It's fine, Mom, thank you. She just had a nightmare."

"Alright. Call me if you need anything else." She eased the door shut, leaving Bear inside.

Elsa threaded her fingers into Bear's thick fur as he snuggled up against her side. She wrapped an arm around him, burying her face in his fur, still lying against Noah's chest. She cried into Bear, calmer tears this time. He lay there quietly, wanting to comfort his new best friend.

After a while, Elsa calmed down. She rubbed Bear's head, grateful for Noah and the ball of fur beside her. "Thank you, Bear," she whispered. The dog picked his head up to lick her face, his soft tongue gently flicking the tip of her nose.

"He always helped me when I had nightmares when I was younger," Noah said quietly, his arms still wrapped protectively around Elsa. She sighed against him, her muscles sore and aching.

"Thank you, Noah." She was silent for a while, one arm curled around Noah, the other around Bear. Her cheek pressed into Noah's chest. She could hear his steady heartbeat, pounding solidly beneath her. Elsa suddenly realized where she was, and the thought made her blush. She stayed still though, enjoying the feel of being pressed so close to him.

Noah shifted a little, preparing to slide out from under Elsa so she could get some sleep. "Here, I'll let you sleep beside Bear."

"Wait," she said softly. He stopped moving, his arm gripping her waist. "Could we...could we stay like this? For a little while?" She wouldn't admit it to him, but she liked this, liked it a lot more than she thought she should. She tried to tell herself it was just because he was comforting her. _Yeah, keep telling yourself that_, her brain said sarcastically.

Noah smiled. "Of course. We can stay like this all night if you want." He loosened his grip on her waist, resting his hand on the small of her back. She snuggled into him, one arm still draped over Bear, her fingers curling into the dog's fur. Noah pressed his cheek to the top of her head, her scent wafting into his nose. He tried not to be obvious, but he wanted nothing more than to lie there and breathe her in all night. She smelled heavenly, like honeysuckle with a hint of vanilla.

Elsa chuckled a little, her laugh vibrating against Noah's chest. "You smell good too," she said quietly, burying her nose in his undershirt. Noah laughed, hugging her tightly to him.

"Sorry, I wasn't trying to be weird," he said.

"It's alright. It was cute."

Noah blushed, glad that it was dark and that she wasn't looking at his face. He lay there rubbing her back, feeling more content than ever. He was glad she was getting more comfortable with him. It had been a little more than a week since she had come to his house, and she was now wearing short-sleeved shirts to bed every night. He would gently treat her bruises every night, glad to see that some of them were starting to go away now.

Elsa's breathing slowed, her weight growing heavy against him. He reached up to brush a few fingers across the bare skin of her arm. Noah sighed, loving the feel of her skin. He had never felt like this about anyone else. There had never been anyone else in his life, ever since he had met her. Somehow, even his eight-year-old self knew that she was the one for him. There would never be anyone else but her. Noah eventually fell asleep, his thoughts on the sleeping girl in his arms.


	9. Trial

**Hello once again! I had a request while doing Beneath Your Beautiful for a bit more info on the trial when Elsa's parents were convicted. So here's a oneshot to flesh that out a bit. Keep in mind that I'm no expert on trials and hearings and whatnot, so the technicalities of the actual trial will be vague. I did want to cover the emotional turmoil of the event though. Anyway, enjoy! ~hearts~**

* * *

Trial

Elsa smoothed down the edge of her shirt, fiddling with the sleeves and biting her lip nervously. She sat on Noah's bed, her pulse racing and her heart clenching in fear. Her thoughts weren't focused on anything in particular, but she couldn't shake the terror that gripped her. Her stomach roiled with nerves. _I can't do this. I can't, it's too hard!_

She had never been more nervous in her life. The things she was about to have to describe...she hadn't told anyone what went on at home. It was hard enough living through it, but having to describe it? That was torture. She wished again that she could just tell Noah. He was easy to talk to, and he always knew when she needed to stop or when she needed comfort. But at the trial, she wouldn't be able to stop. She'd have to keep going, to tell it all.

A noise at the door caused Elsa to jerk, her head snapping up and looking for the source. Noah was standing in the doorway, wearing a navy-colored polo and khakis. He looked a little nervous himself. His hands were thrust into his pockets, and he was chewing on his bottom lip.

Noah was a little nervous, true, but not because of his own part in the trial. He was mostly nervous about hearing everything that had happened to Elsa. It made him sick, just thinking of what had gone on. He had already heard a snippet of it, when she told the officer about it the night her parents were arrested. That had made his stomach turn. This would be worse, though.

He looked at her eyes, so full of fear and pain. It made his chest tighten painfully. He moved quickly across the room, his own nerves forgotten. Sitting down beside her on the edge of the bed, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, drawing her to him.

"It's gonna be okay, Els."

"I'm scared," she whispered.

"I know. But trust me, they won't be able to do anything to you. And I'll be there the whole time." He gently rubbed her arm with his thumb. He hated this, hated seeing her so scared and hurt. He wanted to take it all away.

"Noah...this is so hard. I don't even...it's going to sound even worse when I say it all aloud." Her chin trembled, tears threatening to spill out of her eyes at any second.

Noah sighed, pulling her closer. "I know, Els. I hate to say this, but the more...descriptive...you can be, the easier it will be for them to make their decision." He felt her clench his shirt tightly in one hand. He grabbed her other hand, stroking it with his thumb. "God, I wish I could take all the pain away, Els. I wish I could change the past for you. I hate seeing you like this."

He held her gently, not wanting to let go. A soft knock on the door made him turn his head. His mother was there, dressed and ready to go. She had a sad, drawn look to her face. He sighed. None of them wanted to do this. But then again, Noah wanted those monsters behind bars.

"Noah, Elsa, it's time to go," Sarah said softly.

Noah pulled Elsa to her feet. He took her face gently in his hands, thumbing away her tears. Then he threaded his fingers between her own, leaning down to whisper, "I won't let go. I promise." Elsa nodded, blinking back more tears.

The trip to the courthouse went by much too quickly for Elsa. Even worse, the time before the start of the trial melted away faster than she could blink. As she sat there, waiting for everything to start, her heart pounded furiously in her chest and a chill swept through her veins. Her parents hadn't been brought in yet, and she dreaded the moment. _What if they yell at me? They have to walk right past me, what if he tries to..._ Elsa shook her head, trying to stop that train of thought.

When her parents were finally brought in, Elsa's heart jolted in fear. She gripped Noah's hand tightly. She was probably cutting off the circulation in his fingers, but she couldn't help it. She flinched as they walked past, preparing for an onslaught of verbal abuse, but it never came. They acted as if she wasn't even there, keeping their noses aloft and staring ahead of them. Elsa loosened her grip on Noah's hand, breathing out a small sigh of relief.

When the trial actually began, a cold sweat broke out on Elsa's forehead. Her heart was thumping so loudly in her chest that she was positive Noah could hear it. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, letting her know that he was there and she would be alright. When it was finally her turn to speak, Elsa had to swallow past a lump in her throat.

They made it as easy as possible for her, asking direct questions that she could answer in a few sentences rather than having to talk on her own for a while. There were times when she got choked up, when it was almost too hard to continue, but Noah gave her hand another gentle squeeze and she pushed on. She told them everything, with as much detail as she could muster. Elsa described the torture she had been put through, the fear she had lived with her whole life. When asked when the beatings had started, Elsa had told them that she couldn't remember a time when her parents _didn't_ hit her. Noah had growled quietly at that statement.

Eventually, Elsa's part was over. She sank back in her seat, shaking. The hand that she gripped Noah with was slightly sweaty, but he didn't seem to care. He continued to hold her hand, gently rubbing his thumb across the back of it. A few minutes later, it was Noah's turn to speak. He described the night he had rescued her with as much detail as possible. He recounted her father's words and actions, telling them everything he could remember.

When the time came for her parents to respond to all that had been said, the courtroom broke out in a rustle of murmurs. Her father glanced in Elsa's direction, sending her such a look of pure hatred and disgust that she drew back involuntarily. The man clenched his jaw, before turning back to the judge and admitting to it all.

"Yeah, it all happened," he said viciously. "Every word of it, true. And you know what? The little piece of shit deserved it."

Elsa trembled in her seat, trying desperately to keep her tears in check. Her mother voiced the same opinions, growling out a wish that the girl had never been born. Elsa's heart broke a little more; a small part of her still wished that this was all a mistake, that her parents hadn't meant any of it. Noah untangled their fingers for just a moment, looping her arm in his before threading their fingers back together. Elsa leaned into him, wanting this all to be over.

Finally, they took a break. It was time for the jury to decide the verdict. Elsa and Noah waited until her parents were escorted past before making their way out into the entrance of the courthouse. Noah wasted no time, wrapping her in a tender embrace. Elsa let out a sob that she had been holding in for hours.

"Shh, it's alright, Els. It's almost over." He gently stroked her hair, running his fingers down her thick braid. His mother came up beside them, tears in her eyes. Sarah put a hand to Elsa's shoulder. Elsa looked up, eyes blurred with tears. She let a few more spill out before releasing Noah and turning to Sarah, burying her head against her shoulder and shaking with silent tears. Sarah wrapped her arms around Elsa in a motherly fashion, gently rocking her back and forth.

"It's okay, sweetie. You've gotten through the worst of it," Sarah said softly, holding the trembling girl in her arms. Elsa's sudden wish to be held by Sarah was slightly shocking, but she took it in stride, knowing that the girl needed comfort now more than ever. After a time, Elsa pulled back a little, sniffing. Sarah reached up to brush a strand of hair out of Elsa's face. "You've done great, Elsa. Just a little bit longer. Then we'll go home and you and Noah can curl up on the couch."

Elsa nodded, rubbing her face dry. She turned back to Noah, who pulled her into a hug without her having to say anything. She sighed into him, wishing that they could just go home now. She had calmed down a little, but she stayed against Noah. His warmth was comforting. Finally, they were called back into the courtroom.

Elsa held her breath as they began to announce the verdict. Her heart had gone back to pounding furiously in her chest, nerves rolling in her stomach. _What if they don't find them guilty? What if they get off easy? I can't go back to living like that! Oh God..._ She took a few shallow breaths, holding Noah's hand firmly. She closed her eyes, wanting everything to be over with. A brief moment of panic gripped her before the verdict was called out, before glorious, sweeping relief rushed through her. _Guilty. Oh God, thank you. It's over._

Tears rolled silently down her cheeks. She barely listened as the sentence was called out: fifteen years in prison and lifetime supervised release after that. Elsa had never felt more relieved in her life. She couldn't believe it was all over. The end of the trial was a blur to her. She vaguely remembered being told that she was allowed to stay with Noah and his parents, who were going to act as a foster family until she had come of age. Noah pulled her into a hug as they were dismissed, tears shining in his eyes.

"It's over, Els. It's all over."

* * *

Elsa cried the whole way home, still desperately clinging to Noah. She sat beside him in the backseat of the car, head resting against his shoulder. Noah's mother was just as emotional, grabbing tissues every now and then to blow her nose. Noah glanced at his father. Judging by the set of his jaw and his pale face, he was holding back a wave of emotions. Noah had seen his father's anger in the courtroom several times. They had both thought the same thing: _how can parents be so cruel to their own child?_

At long last, they arrived at home. Elsa would have sat in the car and cried all night if Noah hadn't picked her up and carried her inside. He walked into the living room, sitting down on the couch and cuddling Elsa close. His mother sat down beside him for a few minutes, resting a hand against Elsa's thigh. All of them wished there was something they could say to calm her down, but nothing came to mind. Noah knew they were tears of relief; she needed to get it out.

After a while, Noah's mother glanced at the clock on the mantle of the fireplace. She sniffed once more, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue. "I think I'll go check on dinner. I put roast in the crock pot this morning. Should be about done now."

Elsa's heart warmed. Sarah remembered her favorite meal, and planned it for tonight. She'd never had anyone do that before. Wiping the tears off her face, she got up quickly and ran to Sarah, wrapping her in a hug.

"Thank you," she whispered, more tears coming as Noah's mother returned the embrace. "For everything."

Sarah pulled Elsa close. "Oh sweetheart..."

Eventually, Elsa pulled back. Sarah put a gentle hand to her cheek, wiping away a few tears and smiling sadly at her. She leaned forward, placing a soft kiss on Elsa's forehead. More tears leaked out of Elsa's eyes, trailing down her cheeks. She gave Sarah one last hug before returning to the couch, sitting beside Noah and snuggling against his side.

It had been a long, exhausting day. Elsa had felt such a wide spectrum of emotions within the space of a few hours. Her earlier nerves and fear had finally left her, being replaced with relief, and now, love. She'd never felt more cared for in all her life. Leaning into Noah's embrace, she sighed. She was glad the day was over. _Over...it's all over._


	10. Taking a Step Forward

**Okay, so after the depressing trial oneshot, here's some fluffy to make you feel better! Some Elsa/Anna interaction as well. I might do more like this in the future. Anyway, enjoy!**

* * *

Taking a Step Forward

Elsa sat at the table on the back porch, relaxing in the heat of the afternoon. School had just let out for summer, and they were enjoying time spent together as a group. Noah and Kristoff were out in the middle of the grass, practicing taekwondo. They were quickly getting drenched in sweat, their shirts sticking to their backs and leaving little to the imagination in regards to their forms. Elsa put her chin in her hands, chuckling to herself as Noah pinned Kristoff to the ground for about the hundredth time. He was trying to teach Kristoff, since the blond didn't take taekwondo, but Kristoff was having difficulties.

Elsa heard the sound of voices filter through the screen door.

"Hello dear. Elsa and the boys are out back. Did you have a nice lunch with your family?" Sarah asked.

Anna's cheerful voice answered. "Oh, it was fun. They're all crazy, you know. My uncles spent most of the time teasing me. All in good fun, of course."

"Yes, I remember them from last summer," Sarah said, laughing. "Well, would you like to take some drinks out for the others?"

"Of course."

Elsa jumped slightly as a bark rang out right next to her. She looked beside her to see Bear sitting there, wagging his tail, a tennis ball at his feet. Elsa chuckled. "Sorry, Bear. Not just yet. Let's wait for Noah and Kris to get done. Then we'll play," she whispered. She rubbed the dog on the head, smiling when he closed his eyes and nudged her with his nose, encouraging her to pet him longer. The sound of the screen door opening brought Elsa's head up. Anna was backing out of the door with a large pitcher of lemonade and a handful of glasses. She set them all down on the table, smiling at Elsa as she did so.

"Hey, Elsa. Would you like a drink? It's way too hot out today."

Elsa sent her a small smile, nodding her agreement. She reached for a glass, pouring herself some lemonade. She still hadn't talked to Anna or Kristoff yet. She was working up the nerve. Neither of them seemed to mind her silence; like Noah had been for the past several years, they seemed to enjoy her company without her having to speak. It was heart-warming, but still confusing to Elsa. _I just don't understand how they can all be so nice. Why aren't they bothered by my silence?_

Elsa wasn't really sure what was holding her back from speaking to them. She had gotten over her fear of speech where Noah was concerned rather quickly. For some reason, though, she still got hung up when she opened her mouth to speak around Anna or Kristoff. She supposed it was the years she had spent completely silent; it was a hard habit to break. Noah had broken it easily, at least when she was alone with him or his family; but, then again, Noah seemed to melt her into a puddle anyway. He managed to crash through all of her barriers.

Anna called the boys over for a break, and they gulped down two glasses of lemonade each. They were almost dripping sweat by now, the summer heat and physical exertion combined making them sweat more. Kristoff plucked at his shirt, grimacing.

"Ugh. We should have taken these off before we started. I think my shirt might still be soaked by the time I have to leave," he said, frowning. Shrugging, he tugged at the edge of his shirt, pulling it up over his head and draping it across the back of a chair. Noah nodded in agreement, then followed his lead. A flush rose rapidly to Elsa's cheeks at the sight of his exposed chest. He wasn't incredibly bulky, but he was still covered in a thick layer of muscle. The muscles in his chest rippled as he was pulling his shirt over his head. He laid it over the back of a chair, winking at Elsa as he did so.

"Come on, Noah. I almost had you that last time." Noah chuckled, following Kristoff back out into the yard.

Elsa let out an audible sigh as they left. She pointedly looked at the table, trying to keep herself from glancing up and watching Noah. She lasted all of about ten seconds before her eyes flicked upwards, finding Noah instantly. She groaned, putting her head in her hands. Anna chuckled beside her, making her jump. She'd forgotten Anna was there.

"They do that all the time," Anna said, grinning at Elsa, whose cheeks were still red. "Noah's well-cut, isn't he?" Her smirk let Elsa know she was picking on her. _Alright, I know I just turned the color of the setting sun, but am I really this obvious?_ Elsa let out an embarrassed chuckle, running a hand through her hair and pushing it out of her face.

Anna smiled. She watched as Elsa brought her glass of lemonade to her mouth, presumably for something to do besides stare. "You two would be cute together, you know."

Elsa choked on her lemonade, setting the glass down on the table a little harder than she intended. She scowled at Anna, who was doubled over with laughter.

Anna composed herself, a small smile on her lips. "I'm serious, though. He's been head-over-heels for you for a long time. He told us several years ago that the first time he met you was when you were eight. I'm convinced he fell for you then, however silly that sounds. He's never shown interest in any other girl, even though almost every girl in our grade has tried to make a move on him."

Elsa looked up at Anna, shocked. "Really?" she asked quietly, the tone of her voice revealing how much that information meant to her. Her shock at what Anna had said seemed to have been enough to convince her to talk.

Anna smiled broadly at hearing Elsa's voice. "Really. I even tried to set him up with a few, before I realized that he wasn't interested in anyone but you." She was pleasantly surprised that Elsa had spoken. They'd been hanging out as a group for a month or two now, but Elsa had still been incredibly shy around them.

Elsa looked down at her lap, smiling. She fiddled with the hem of her t-shirt. After the first word had been said, her reluctance to speak around Anna melted away. She exhaled, a bit embarrassed at what she was about to say. "He...well, he told me as much the day after he sang at my window. It's been difficult, convincing myself to believe him."

Anna nodded her understanding, a sobered expression on her face. "So why are you holding back?"

Elsa glanced at her, biting her lip. "Habit, I guess? That and...well, I'm just...scared." She twisted her hands nervously in her lap. "This is all new, you know. I mean, I've felt this way about Noah for a while. But being able to express it is new. And I had no idea that he..." She paused, halting the words that were tumbling out of her mouth. She was surprised at how much she was telling Anna. But she had been needing to get this off her chest for a while.

Anna put a hand to her shoulder, making Elsa jump slightly at the contact. "I understand. I don't think you have anything to be afraid of though. I've never met anyone as caring as Noah. Breaking your heart is the last thing he'd ever want to do."

Elsa nodded. "Thanks."

Anna chuckled, pulling her hand back. "If I'd known all I had to talk about was Noah to get you to speak, I'd have done this a long time ago. It's nice, having another girl to talk to."

Elsa grinned, blushing. "You have no idea. It's just nice to have _someone_ to talk to. I've said more in the past few months than I think I have my whole life." The smile slowly slipped off her face. She glanced at Anna again. The redhead was looking at her with concern. "Anna. Thanks. For, you know, never being pushy. Giving me time. It's meant more to me than you know that you and Kristoff have treated me so...normally. I just...well, thank you. Really." A tear slipped down Elsa's cheek.

"Hey," Anna said softly. She stood up, pulling Elsa to her feet before wrapping her in a hug. "You don't have to thank me. It's what friends are for."

Elsa choked out a sob, gripping Anna tightly. She hadn't realized how much she needed this, needed a girl her age to talk to. It felt wonderful. She held on to Anna for a bit longer, eventually pulling back and wiping her face dry. Anna had a few tears in her own eyes, but she was smiling. Elsa jumped as something cold and wet touched her hand. She looked down to see Bear looking at her; if a dog could have shown concern, Bear would be showing it now. Elsa smiled, stroking his nose.

Anna smiled as they sat back down. "You know, he used to stay at my feet when I was over. I think he likes you more, though. He almost ignores me now," she said, still smiling.

Elsa grinned sheepishly at her. "Sorry."

Anna laughed. "It's alright. I think he knows you need him more than I do. I have my own dogs at home anyway."

They were silent for a while, Elsa scratching behind Bear's ears. When the sun began to sink below the treetops, the boys finally came back up to the porch, both of them looking extremely exhausted. They stopped at the porch steps, Noah leaning down to turn on the hose so they could rinse off. They splashed water on their chests, washing away the sweat and grime. Noah put the hose to his head, wetting his hair, before handing it to Kristoff. He shook his head like a dog, sending water in all directions. Elsa smiled as she watched him, a flush to her cheeks once again.

Anna shook her head. "Finally had enough, boys? Or did you just get tired of losing, Kris?"

He scowled at her. "Hey, I almost got him a few times." His blond hair dripped water as he walked up onto the porch. "Noah, mind if I borrow a shirt?"

"You know I don't," Noah said, rolling his eyes. They walked inside, running upstairs to get some fresh t-shirts. Elsa and Anna stayed outside, enjoying the change in temperature as the sun sank lower in the sky. The boys finally returned, both wearing clean shirts, their hair a little less damp than it had been earlier.

"Alright, guys, I hate to, but I've gotta go. Mom's expecting me home for dinner," Kristoff said apologetically. "Had a great time today, though. Anna, are you staying for a bit longer, or do you want me to walk you home?"

"I have to go too, so I'll walk with you." They all made their way to the front of the house, Anna and Kristoff saying goodbye to Noah's mother as they passed. Anna gave Elsa a hug before she stepped out of the door, following Kristoff to the sidewalk at the edge of the street. Noah cocked his head to the side, frowning slightly.

He waited until the door was shut before speaking. "Els, did you and Anna-"

"Hold that thought," Elsa said, pulling the door back open and racing outside. She had made a quick decision. She didn't want Kristoff to be the only one she hadn't spoken to that day. She jogged down the steps, calling out to the pair as they walked down the sidewalk.

Anna and Kristoff turned at the sound of Elsa's voice, Kristoff blinking a few times when he saw who it was that had spoken. Elsa jogged up to them, biting her lip nervously.

"Kris...I just...I wanted to say thank you. For, well, being so patient with me. I know it's taken me a while to get comfortable around you and Anna, and I'm sorry. It's just hard to break the habit of a lifetime, you know," she said quietly, looking at the ground.

"Elsa," he said softly, making her look up at him. "It's alright. Really. You don't have to say thank you." He smiled at her, pleased that she was finally talking. He was even more surprised when she came up to him and gave him a quick hug. He returned it, squeezing her tightly.

Elsa smiled at Kristoff as she pulled back. She waved to them as they started for home again. She turned around to see Noah standing on the porch, smiling. He had watched the whole exchange, surprised, but beyond happy. When Elsa made it back to the porch, he wrapped her in a hug.

"I'm so proud of you, Els."

"It's all thanks to you," Elsa said softly, smiling into him at the thought of the conversation that had taken place with Anna. She knew it would be a while before she could tell Noah how she felt, but verbally admitting that she liked him had helped. It was the first step towards letting herself return his feelings. _I love you, Noah. One day, I'll be able to tell you._


	11. Favorite Things

Favorite Things

Summer sun shone brightly in the backyard, beating down on Elsa and Noah. They lay in the grass, staring up at the clouds. They were picking out shapes, laughing and having a good time. Noah pointed to a large, puffy one above the roof of his house. "That one looks like a horse."

Elsa snorted. "A horse? Right. And I'm a duck."

Noah laughed. "Alright, what do you think it is?"

"It's a cat. Duh."

Noah put an arm under his head, shifting to get more comfortable. He chuckled. "Okay, I have an idea. Let's do something different."

"Like what?" Elsa asked, twirling the end of her braid in her fingers.

"I'll ask you a question, and you answer, and then you can ask me one, and I'll answer. We'll take turns."

Elsa's hands stopped moving. She blinked a few times, a little nervous. "Uh, what kind of questions?"

"Just simple ones. Here, I'll start. What's your favorite food?"

Elsa relaxed, leaning back into the grass. She'd been afraid that he was going to ask her more about her past. She'd been trying to tell him a little at a time, but it was still hard. Breathing out a sigh of relief, she thought of an answer to his question. "Well...before, I don't know if I would have been able to answer that. But now, I have to say, your mom's chocolate chip waffles. Extra syrup," she said, grinning.

Noah laughed. "I love those too. But my favorite food would definitely be grilled cheese sandwiches. Mmmmm," he sighed, closing his eyes. "Alright, your turn."

Elsa thought for a minute. "Okay...what's your favorite color?"

"Blue," Noah answered immediately. "Yours?"

"Green," she answered, almost without thought. The fact that they had just said each other's eye color wasn't lost on her. A flush rose to her cheeks, and she bit her lip shyly.

Noah chuckled a little. "Alright...what's your favorite book?"

"Oooh," Elsa said excitedly. She was starting to like this game. "_The Giver_, easily. It's so amazing. I like the rest of the series too, but the first is my favorite. I just love the idea of there being this so-called 'perfect' society that has flaws. And I love how Jonas stands up to it, defies it. It's such a fantastic story."

Noah smiled at her enthusiasm. _Alright, that's one to add to the mental list of all that is Elsa. A love of books. _"I read that one in eighth grade, I think. I don't remember much about it. My favorite book...well, I suppose I like the whole series. _The Chronicles of Narnia_. I've always loved them. Mom read them to me as a kid, and I've loved them ever since."

"Oh, I love those too!"

Noah laughed. "You know, I'm not surprised. I did always see you with a book in your hand at school."

"Well, it was a way for me to escape...you know..."

Noah glanced at her. She was quiet for a little while, forgetting that it was her turn to ask a question. He reached over to take her hand in his own, respecting her need to think for a minute. Eventually, he gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "Els, your turn."

She jolted beside him. "Oh, sorry. Right. Umm, what's your middle name?"

Noah laughed. "Wasn't expecting that question. Alright. It's Alexander."

"Hmm...Noah Alexander. I like it." She was quiet again. Noah nudged her. "Oh, right, I have to answer too." She let out a nervous laugh. She had definitely never told anyone this before. "Umm, mine is Marie."

Noah squeezed her hand. "Beautiful. Just like the rest of you."

Elsa blushed. "Quit with the compliments, you're going to turn me red permanently."

"Well, I certainly can't do that. You're cute when you blush." He winked at her then looked back up at the clouds to give her a bit of relief. "My turn. Let's see..." He thought for a minute, thinking of something that he wouldn't mind answering himself. "Hmm... alright, if you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?"

"Hmm...somewhere on the shore. Or maybe, an island somewhere. Where there's lots of water. I love the water. And I've never seen the ocean," she added, slightly embarrassed.

Noah frowned. "Really?"

"Yeah. I've never left this town. Been here since I was born. But I always liked to sit beside the lake in the park."

"Well, we're going to have to fix that." Noah thought about his answer to the question. "I've always wanted to visit the Redwood Forest. I can't imagine how powerful that place feels. I've seen pictures, of course, but I'm sure they're nothing close to the real thing." Noah reached up to scratch his chin. "Your turn."

"Alright...when's your birthday?"

"March 3rd, '97. Yours?"

Elsa groaned. "I'm younger than _everyone _in our grade. July 15th."

"Ha!" Noah said, pumping his fist. "Hey, that's coming up soon. Less than a month away," he added, smiling.

"Yeah, not like it matters. Just another day."

"Yeah, but it's the day you were born. I have to celebrate that, you know. Because I don't know what I'd do without you." He glanced sideways to see a slight tint to her cheeks.

They continued asking each other questions, Noah making sure that he didn't ask anything about her background. He knew those were tough questions for her, and he wanted this to be a happy day. The questions got increasingly sillier, until they were rolling with laughter in the grass. They asked each other everything they could think of, from what superpower they wish they had to what their favorite day of the week was. Elsa ended up rolled over on her stomach, plucking at blades of grass.

"Alright, my turn," she said, shredding a piece of grass between her fingers. "What's your favorite smell?"

Noah laughed. "What kind of question is that?" He shook his head, laughing some more. "Alright, well...honeysuckle. And maybe vanilla. What's yours?"

Elsa bit her lip. "You." The word had slipped out of her mouth before she could even think about what she was saying. Her stomach did a few flips. _Oh my goodness, why did I say that? _

Noah's heart lurched in his chest, thumping loudly against his ribcage. _Stop it_, he told his heart. _That won't do you any good right now. She still isn't ready. _He rolled over onto his side, propping himself up on his elbow, trying to control his racing heart. It took a few seconds, but he finally found his voice. Noah forced out a chuckle, smiling. "Really?"

Elsa nodded her head, blushing furiously, still silently berating herself for saying that. She rested her chin in her hands, her nose even with the grass. She closed her eyes, feeling the warmth radiating from his body, so close to her own. She cleared her throat. "Your turn," she said quietly.

"Hmm..." Noah thought for a minute, trying to get away from dangerous topics. "What's your favorite song?"

Elsa didn't even have to think about how to answer that. There could really only be one answer for her. She turned her head to look at him, his beautiful green eyes staring intently at her. "The one you wrote for me," she whispered, tears pricking her eyes.

Oddly enough, that calmed his heartbeat. Noah looked at her sadly, wishing that she could have had a normal childhood. He reached out with a hand to tug her closer to him. "Come here." He laid back on the grass, Elsa scooting over to rest her head on his shoulder. She wrapped an arm around him, threading her fingers into the grass by his side. Noah hadn't meant to get so close to questions about her past today. He decided this was a good time to stop.

Noah reached up to stroke her hair, running his hand down her braid and twirling the end in his fingers. "You know, you smell like honeysuckle. With a hint of vanilla."

Elsa blinked a few times. _Didn't he just say that's the smell he likes most..._ "Really?"

"Really." Noah lay there for a while longer, holding her close. The afternoon sun beat down on them, but they didn't mind. It was pleasantly warm. The sounds of summer almost lulled them both to sleep. Noah gently rubbed Elsa's back, a feeling of peace settling over him. He hugged her tightly, sighing.

"This has been a good day, Els."

She sighed, content. "Yes, it has."

* * *

Noah pulled Elsa along, dragging her to a music store in town. He'd been wanting to go for a while now. He needed a new strap for his guitar, and he wanted to look for some new sheet music. He was almost bored with everything he had at home. There was another reason he was taking her though.

"Noah, where are we going?"

"You'll see. It's a surprise." He laced her fingers between his own, gently swinging their hands back and forth as they walked. They turned a corner, Noah gently tugging her to a small shop at the end of the strip.

"A music store?"

"Yes, you'll see. Come on," he said, smiling. He pushed open the door, a soft tinkling noise alerting the owner to their presence. He was a portly man, with curly salt-and-pepper hair and a warm, welcoming smile. Noah had always liked him.

"Noah! Welcome back! I haven't seen you in a while. And who is this?" he asked, motioning to Elsa, who bit her lip self-consciously, looking at the floor.

"Mr. Briggs, this is Elsa. Do you mind if we borrow your grand for a few?"

"Not at all, you know you're welcome any time."

"Thank you, sir." Noah pulled Elsa over to a beautiful grand piano sitting in front of the window. He sat her down on the bench, scooting in beside her.

"Noah, what's this all about?"

"I'm going to teach you how to play piano. I'm not great, mind you, but you told me you wanted to play. Or at least, when I asked what instrument you would like to learn, you said piano," he said shyly, mentioning the game they had played earlier in the week.

Elsa smiled. On the inside, her heart was bursting with joy. Not only had he remembered what she said, but he had actually pegged one of the things that she wanted to do the most. _How do you do that, Noah? I don't remember telling you that music was my second passion._ "I'd love to learn," she said softly.

Noah smiled brightly. "Good. Alright...I suppose, first things first...can you read music?" She shook her head. "Well, this will be fun!" Noah set about teaching her how to read the notes. He would point to one, tell her it's name, then show her the corresponding key on the piano. It took him a while, but she could eventually tell him all the notes he pointed at, and a little while later, she could tell him where they were on the piano. Teaching her how to read the bass clef was the hardest part. Once she had learned treble, bass was hard to remember. She knew why the notes were what they were in bass clef, but she just couldn't translate quick enough.

Mr. Briggs walked by, seeing that Noah was struggling. "Noah, do you remember the little phrases I taught you a long time ago, the ones that told you which notes corresponded to each line of the staff?"

"Oh, right! Thanks, Mr. Briggs!" Noah grabbed a blank sheet of paper, drawing out a staff with a treble clef on it. "Alright, so you know this one." He wrote out the letters of each note that corresponded with the lines on the staff: E, G, B, D, F. "For this one, think of the phrase, 'Every Good Boy Does Fine,' one word for each letter." Elsa nodded her understanding. He left a little gap, then wrote out the letters for the notes in the spaces: F, A, C, E. "For the spaces, think face."

Elsa laughed. "Alright, that's easy. What about bass clef?"

Noah drew another staff, this time with a bass clef. He wrote out the letters for the lines: G, B, D, F, A. "This time, the phrase is 'Good Bikes Don't Fall Apart.'" He wrote out the letters for the spaces: A, C, E, G. "And the spaces are 'All Cows Eat Grass.' Will that help you remember?"

"Yeah, that's easier."

"It will take a while to be able to read both of them instinctually, but you'll get there." He continued teaching her, the sun sinking lower in the sky. In just a couple of hours, she was able to play all the scales, even the minor ones. She had picked it up pretty quickly. Noah was impressed.

"Els, what you just did in a couple of hours, it took me at least a week to learn."

"Really?"

"Really really," he said, smiling. They got up from the piano to look for Noah a new guitar strap before the store closed. Elsa picked out a blue one that had interesting, diagonal lines in different shades of blue. She said it looked a little like rain, and since that was his favorite weather, it was perfect. Noah purchased it, along with a new book of guitar music, thanking Mr. Briggs again for letting them play on the piano.

"No trouble at all, young man. You both come back anytime," Mr. Briggs said, smiling.

Noah waved to the man as they walked out the door, grabbing Elsa's hand and starting for home. She talked about what she'd learned the whole way. Her enthusiasm was contagious; not that it took much to get Noah talking about music. It was his greatest passion. _Well, after Elsa of course,_ he thought.

When they walked through the door of the house, Noah's mother was sitting on the couch, watching a television show. "Did you two have fun?" she asked.

Elsa smiled brightly. "Oh, it was great! Mr. Briggs let us play on his grand piano. Noah taught me how to play!" She rambled on to his mother for a while, Noah fighting the laugh that wanted to bubble to his lips. She was like a child that had just learned to walk, so enthusiastic about everything available to her now. Her joy made his heart swell with happiness.

Noah's mother laughed. "It sounds like you had a wonderful time. Noah, you'll have to take her back, teach her some more."

Elsa looked at him with round eyes, almost pleading to go back again. Noah laughed. "Of course. Though I think she's about to pass me when it comes to knowledge of a piano. My forte is the guitar."

"Well, we can learn together," Elsa said happily. She ran over and grabbed his hand, dragging him towards the stairs. "Come on, I want to hear you sing." Noah laughed, shaking his head.


	12. The Best Birthday - Part 1

**Alright, this one is actually going to be a two-part story. I had a lot I wanted to do for this and it felt way too long when I combined the two parts. So the rest of this story will come tomorrow!**

**Special shout-out to RJCA27: thank you so much for you kind words! And in regards to your request, that will definitely be coming! I plan on doing a oneshot just for that moment, in addition to a few after they officially get together. I really wanted Beneath Your Beautiful to be more about Elsa's emotional journey than her relationship with Noah, so that's why I cut it off where I did. Admittedly, it was a cruel thing to do...promise I'll make it up to you ;) anyway, thanks a bunch for your review!**

* * *

The Best Birthday - Part 1

Noah stared at the beautiful girl that was sleeping beside him, feeling anxious and excited and a jumble of other emotions. He wasn't anxious about the gifts his family had for her. He knew she would love them. He was anxious about how well she would take it. He didn't want her to be overwhelmed, but that was just what he feared might happen. He still had to tell her at least once every day that she deserved the love his family showed her. This might be too much for her.

Still, he knew she would love it all. And to be honest, a lot of it hadn't even come from his parents. The community had been more generous than he had ever thought they would be. It made his heart swell with happiness for Elsa. She deserved everything they were going to give her today, and more. _I wish she was ready for more. But it's alright...she's worth the wait. And I'll wait as long as she needs me to._

A short while later, Elsa breathed deeply, shifting beside him. She curled her fingers into his undershirt, snuggling closer to him. It made Noah's breath hitch. He was used to this by now, used to how unreserved she was in her early waking moments. But it still took his breath away; he found himself wishing, not for the first time, that she would let herself go like this when she was more coherent.

Sure enough, Elsa eventually woke up enough to release her grip on Noah. She rubbed her face, trying to brush away the last remnants of sleep, still lying against Noah's side.

Noah gave her a gentle squeeze. "Good morning," he said softly.

Elsa gave up on trying to wake up more. She was too comfortable. She sank back into him, burying her nose in his undershirt, breathing him in. She sighed happily. "Good morning."

"Happy Birthday."

Elsa's heart stopped momentarily, before starting back up again, beating much faster than it had been earlier. Her ears started ringing, her mind completely blank. Then a wave of emotion hit her and she physically flinched. She didn't know whether to feel depressed or elated. A million thoughts were rushing through her head, all centered on the fact that it was the first time those words had ever been directed at her. Two little words shouldn't have affected her this much, but they did. Somehow, they meant more to her than almost anything Noah had ever said to her.

Noah realized something was wrong when he felt her flinch. He could feel her heartbeat racing, and she was gripping his shirt tightly again. "Els...are you alright?" She clenched his shirt tighter, pressing her cheek into his shoulder.

"Hey, hey, it's alright," he murmured, pulling her closer to him and rubbing her back soothingly. She was quiet for a long time, holding on to him tightly. He could feel her shudder with silent sobs every now and then, could feel his shirt dampening with her tears. He sat up, bringing her with him. He pushed his arm under the covers, hooking it beneath her knees and tugging her into his lap. He gently rocked her back and forth, wrapping his arms around her, embracing her tightly.

Elsa relaxed into him when he sat her in his lap, trying to stop herself from crying. Eventually, her tears slowed to a stop. She stayed curled against Noah for a while longer, his warmth comforting. After a time, she made herself speak. "Thank you. That was the first time anyone has told me that," she whispered, her voice cracking a little.

"Oh Elsa..." Noah hugged her tighter, pressing his cheek to her forehead. She tucked her head in, burying it against his neck. A tear slipped down her cheek again, dripping onto Noah's shoulder.

Noah decided it was time to lighten the mood. "Well, it's good that you got that out of your system now. There are still a few more people that would like to tell you that," he said, smiling. rubbing her back.

Elsa smiled a little. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get so emotional. I just...well, those words mean a lot to me."

"No need to be sorry. I understand." He held her for a little longer before pulling back and smiling at her. He brushed a few strands of hair out of her face, thumbing away one last tear. "Come on. Let's get dressed and see what Mom and Dad have planned."

Noah and Elsa walked downstairs hand-in-hand, Elsa still trying to get a grip on her emotions. Noah's parents were in the living room, watching the news. When Sarah heard them coming down the stairs, she stood up, walking to Elsa with a smile on her face.

Sarah wrapped the girl in a hug, squeezing her tightly. "Happy Birthday, dear."

Elsa hugged Sarah back, almost bursting into tears again. Hearing it from Noah had been...difficult. This was just as difficult, but for different reasons. Over the past few months, she had come to think of Sarah and Jim as the parents she had never been able to have. They cared for her and provided for her without thought. They treated her like she was their own daughter. At that thought, another wave of tears finally spilled over, rolling down Elsa's cheeks. Elsa embraced Sarah even tighter, crying into her shoulder.

Sarah looked over Elsa's shoulder to Noah, who stood at the bottom of the stairs, watching the two with a sad look on his face. At his mother's glance, Noah sent her a small smile, letting her know that he'd already been through this with Elsa. Sarah stroked Elsa's hair affectionately, giving her all the time she needed to let it out.

After a while, Elsa pulled back, sniffing and rubbing her face dry. "Thank you."

Sarah smiled sadly. _I suppose she's not used to hearing that phrase. Bless her. _"Elsa, dear, why don't you and Noah go sit on the couch? I'll make breakfast and let you know when it's ready."

Elsa nodded, grabbing Noah's hand and pulling him towards the couch. Before they sat down, Noah's father stood, putting a hand to Elsa's shoulder. She looked up at him, the fatherly smile on his face making her heart swell with happiness. She released Noah's hand, wrapping Jim in a hug. She didn't know if she'd ever be able to fully explain to him what his love meant to her. She had been terrified of both of her parents, but especially her father. Having a father figure now, one that she wasn't afraid of and loved with all her heart, was incredibly special to her.

Jim returned the embrace, resting his chin on the top of her head. "Happy Birthday, sweetie."

"Thank you," she mumbled into his chest. When she pulled away, he ruffled her hair affectionately. Elsa chuckled, blowing her hair out of her face. She joined Noah on the couch, sitting beside him and holding his hand. They sat there in companionable silence until his mother called them to breakfast. She had made Elsa's favorite: chocolate chip waffles. Extra syrup for Elsa. Halfway through the meal, Elsa looked up at her adoptive family, her heart threatening to burst from all the love she was feeling.

Sarah gathered up all the plates as they finished breakfast, quickly cleaning up so that they could be on their way. Elsa tried to help, but Sarah shooed her away. "No, the birthday girl doesn't have to help. You just sit tight until I'm done, then we'll pack up and leave."

Elsa sat back down, shaking her head, but secretly loving the treatment. "Where are we going?"

Noah smiled. "Well, it wouldn't be a surprise if we told you, would it?"

She pouted, trying to convince Noah to tell her. He usually caved pretty quickly when she pouted at him. He just laughed this time though, crossing his arms.

"Nope, not gonna work this time."

Elsa huffed out a sigh. "Oh well, thought I'd try."

Less than thirty minutes later, they were packed up and in the car. They lived in a small town about an hour outside of Seattle. It would take them just a little bit longer than that to get to where they were going. Noah knew she hadn't been outside their small town, and wanted to take her up to Seattle one day, but there was something else that he wanted to show her that felt more special.

Elsa tried to watch the signs on the highway as they drove, hoping for some clue as to where they were going, but Noah managed to distract her. They played silly travel games, trying to find different state tags or certain colored vehicles. The hour and a half drive flew by, and before long, a sight met Elsa's eyes that made her breath catch in her throat. A large expanse of water was before them, small stretches of land visible across the water. She put her hand on the door of the car, pressing her nose against the glass of the window. "Oh..."

Noah chuckled. "That's just the harbor, Els. Just wait, it gets better."

At Noah's statement, she finally understood where they were taking her. Tears pricked her eyes, and she reached for Noah's hand, smiling. He gave her hand a small squeeze and then pulled out a handkerchief, waving it in front of her nose. "Turn around, I'm gonna put this on you. Can't let you catch a glimpse of the surprise before we're fully there."

Elsa sent him a playful frown, but listened anyway, turning around so that he could blindfold her. Noah smoothed down her hair, careful not to tie up any loose strands. He knotted it securely, turning her by the shoulders to inspect his handiwork.

"Can you see anything?"

"Not a thing. Are you sure this is necessary?"

Noah laughed. "Yep. Definitely necessary."

Elsa crossed her arms, exhaling exasperatedly. They continued on in silence for a few minutes. Finally, Elsa felt the car slowing. Her heart began thumping loudly in her chest when Jim put the car in park and turned the engine off. He got out of the car, followed by Sarah and Noah. Noah came quickly around to her side of the car, opening her door. The smell of the sea hit her then, warm and salty and refreshing. Elsa took a deep breath, a small smile on her lips. She turned to slide out of her seat, but Noah put a hand on her thigh, stopping her.

"Before you get out, take your shoes off and leave them here. I want you to experience it all." Elsa complied, slipping her shoes and socks off and leaving them in the backseat. Noah took her hand and helped her out of the car. She felt warm pavement beneath her feet. Noah shut the car door and pulled her along, helping her up the curb to step onto the worn, rough boards of the boardwalk.

"Make sure you pick up your feet when you walk. Don't want to get a splinter."

Elsa bit back a laugh, smiling. Of course Noah would think of something like that right now. He was always looking out for her. A few seconds later, the sound of waves met her ears. It was a beautiful sound, roaring and crashing like a special kind of music. It was fascinating to her, experiencing all these parts of the ocean at different times. Each new smell, feel and sound made her breath hitch; if they all did that individually, she couldn't wait until she could experience them all at the same time.

Noah tugged Elsa to a halt. He'd had a stupid grin plastered on his face from the moment he had opened her car door. Each time her breath caught in her throat, he smiled even more. He couldn't wait to take her blindfold off. "Els, the boards end here. Are you ready?"

She bit her lip, hesitating for only a second before nodding her head. Noah gave her hand a gentle tug, pulling her off the warm boards and into the even warmer sand. When her feet hit the sand, she let out a small gasp. The sand gave easily beneath her feet, shifting with each tiny little movement. It was softer and warmer than she'd ever expected. She let out a giggle as she wiggled her toes, squishing them into the sand.

Noah laughed, pulling her along until they were out past the dunes that protected the park from the open beach. He loved seeing her so excited; he was vividly reminded of a child experiencing something new for the first time. He sent a goofy grin at his parents over his shoulder. They were both smiling, walking hand-in-hand behind them. Noah pulled Elsa out into the sand, just to the edge of where it turned wet from the waves crashing in.

"Alright. We're here. Are you ready?" Elsa nodded, not hesitating this time. Noah let go of her hand, slowly untying the knot of her blindfold. He bit his lip, slightly nervous, and then pulled the handkerchief away from her eyes.

Elsa gasped. She stared out at the sight before her, completely at a loss for words. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. Water stretched for as far as the eye could see, small white-capped waves breaking the otherwise level surface of the ocean. They crashed against the shore, water coming up almost to their feet. The sun was high in the sky, making the water glisten in the midday light. It was a few seconds before Elsa realized that she wasn't breathing, and she sucked in a breath, closing her eyes at the scent. She stood there, soaking it all in; the sights, sounds, smells, it was all so...perfect.

She turned to look at Noah as he grasped her hand. The brilliant smile on her face made his heart leap in his chest. She leaned into his side, wrapping an arm around his waist and turning her gaze back to the ocean. She didn't need to say anything. Noah knew she loved it.

A good ways behind them, Sarah and Jim were standing in much the same position. Sarah rested her head on Jim's shoulder, smiling. He squeezed her shoulder, grinning himself. "Do you think she likes it?" he asked his wife.

"I think she loves it," Sarah responded. She looked up at Jim, her eyes full of happiness. "What do you think she'll think of what we have at home for her?"

"She'll love it just as much as this."


	13. The Best Birthday - Part 2

**Alright, so here's the last part of the birthday story! Also, IMPORTANT NOTE: this will likely be the last oneshot for a little bit, but I PROMISE I'll come back. I'm going on a vacation this weekend, coming back on Monday, and then leaving again on Thursday until June 16th. I will be writing while I'm gone most likely, so I'll have more for you when I come back! But I'm not entirely sure if I'll have internet while I'm there. But I promise I have more planned for this, so don't freak out :)**

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The Best Birthday - Part 2

Noah stood with his arm wrapped around Elsa's shoulders, staring out at the ocean. They'd been standing there for at least fifteen minutes, not saying anything, just soaking in the view. Elsa leaned her head against his shoulder, moving for the first time in minutes. He hugged her to him, smiling.

"So, what do you think?" he asked.

"It's beautiful. I've never seen anything like it." Elsa paused, breathing in the ocean air once again. "It's much better than the lake," she said, grinning.

"That it is. Well, come on, I'm not going to let you come to the beach without walking in the water. Roll your pants up a bit." Elsa followed his instructions, rolling her jeans up a few inches. When she stood back up, Noah grabbed her hand and pulled her forward onto wet sand.

"Oooh! It shifts different when it's wet." She pressed a toe into the sand, testing its firmness.

Noah chuckled. "Yeah, it does. Be prepared, here comes the water." Elsa glanced up, watching a wave crash onto the beach right in front of them. The water rushed towards their feet, hitting Noah's a second before it hit hers. She yelped with the coolness of it. She'd been expecting the water to be warm. After a second or two of adjusting, the water felt nice against her feet. She looked up at Noah, grinning.

Noah smiled back at her. "Would you like to go out a little farther?"

Elsa's smile faltered. "Uhh...not really."

Noah frowned. "I thought you liked the water."

"I do like it. That's not it. It's just..." She sighed, running a nervous hand through her hair. "I...I can't swim," she said quietly, looking down at the ground, ashamed.

"Ahh. I see. Well, we won't go out far, okay? Just a couple more feet, so we're touching the water a bit more. And look, it's nothing to be ashamed of, not knowing how to swim. I'll teach you sometime, if you want. It's not hard."

Elsa looked up at him, grateful. "Really?"

Noah smiled. "Promise." He tugged on her hand, pulling her out just a little farther. They went out until they were up to their ankles in the water. Elsa stared down at her feet, fascinated. The water rushing out with the ebb of the tide pulled the sand from beneath her feet. After a few waves retreated, she was left standing on little mounds of sand rather than a hard-packed flat surface. She shifted, pushing her feet farther into the sand before wrapping an arm around Noah's waist again.

They walked along the edge of the water for a while, enjoying the sights and sounds of the ocean. After a while, Noah's parents called them up for a picnic lunch in the sand. They spread out a blanket and sat watching the waves, eating sandwiches and chatting away the time. Eventually, they packed back up and headed home. Elsa snuggled up to Noah in the backseat of the car, still thinking of the ocean.

"Thank you. All of you. This was wonderful. I've never seen anything so...beautiful."

"Oh, you're welcome, dear," Sarah said from the front seat. She turned around to smile at them. "We're glad we could take you. Noah wanted to make your birthday special." He grinned sheepishly at her words, squeezing Elsa tightly.

"It was already special, spending it with all of you. But this has been amazing. Thank you."

Sarah turned back to the front, mostly to hide the tears that had pricked her eyes at Elsa's words. Seeing Elsa's joy at glimpsing the ocean for the first time had been an experience that she would treasure for a long time. It was one thing to take a small child for the first time. They never stayed still long enough to fully enjoy the sight before them. But taking a young adult, that was something special.

An hour and a half later, they pulled up to the house, Elsa once again being denied the task of helping. The birthday girl doesn't need to do anything, they said. Elsa would never admit it, but she loved being treated this way, like she was someone special. Like it was a gift just that she was born. She'd never felt that way before; no one had ever bothered to tell her before Noah and his family.

Noah pulled Elsa into the living room, glancing, shifty-eyed, at his parents. Sarah smiled at him, sending him a small nod. Noah took Elsa's hands in his own, looking right into her eyes. "Elsa, there's something else. We have another surprise for you."

"Wha- more? You really don't have to-"

Noah cut her off. "It's already done. We all wanted to make this day extra special for you. We knew how much it would mean to you."

Elsa swallowed, fighting the urge to cry again. "Okay..."

Noah tugged her to a door opposite the living room, putting a hand to the doorknob. He glanced at her, slightly nervous. Elsa was frowning. She was pretty sure this was Jim's office. Why on earth would they be going in here?

Noah smiled at her before opening the door, flipping the light on quickly and putting a hand between her shoulder blades, nudging her inside. Elsa gasped, putting a hand to her mouth. Tears sprung up at once, a few escaping and rolling down her cheeks. The room had been completely redone. She wasn't sure where to look first. The walls to her right were lined with bookshelves, each one completely filled with books. She walked over to them in a daze, trailing a hand across the spines of a few. She recognized many of the titles. Most of them were books she had read before, and loved. One of the books caught her eye; the small imperfection on the spine looked familiar. She picked it up, opening it. After a few seconds, she looked up at Noah and his family. They were all grinning broadly.

"This...I've read this. This exact book. I remember the mark on the spine."

Sarah nodded. "The library donated all of these. Ms. Ruth, she remembered you coming in, ever since you were little. She looked back at your record, picking out all the books you'd checked out multiple times. These are all the ones you read. With a few others thrown in. Noah helped us pick out some more that you might like, some new ones."

Tears were flowing silently down Elsa's cheeks. She put the book back, glancing at the rest of the room. A small, squishy armchair sat in a corner by the window. The walls were painted a light blue, and the rug beneath her feet had a pattern on it that looked like snowflakes. She brushed a hand against the wall. The thing that she'd been avoiding looking at, but that now held her attention, sat against the wall opposite the door, close to the window.

It was a beautiful, brand new, upright piano. It's glossy black finish practically sparkled. A small stack of music and a big red bow sat atop it. She moved slowly towards it, running her fingers across the smooth, ivory keys. She sat down on the piano bench, completely at a loss for words. She couldn't seem to stem the flow of her tears. She looked back to Noah and his parents, who were still smiling brightly at her. Sarah had a few tears in her own eyes now, and the two men were certainly holding them back.

Elsa choked out a sob, smiling through her tears. She stood up from the bench and ran to Sarah and Jim, wrapping them both in a hug. Noah came up behind her, embracing her as well. She cried into Sarah's shirt, gripping both of her adoptive parents tightly. They stood there for a while, embracing as a family. _Family. I actually have a family_, Elsa thought. After a few minutes, she pulled back, all of them separating. They all had to wipe tears from their eyes.

Elsa sniffed, looking up at Sarah and Jim. "I don't...I don't know what to say. This is...it's...thank you. So much." She looked back to the piano, her eyes drawn to it. She was itching to try it out. Noah's first trip to the music store with her had sparked her love of piano. They had been going back every couple days for the past several weeks so she could play. Now she could play whenever she wanted. "This is all so...it's incredible. I don't..." She paused, tears pricking her eyes again. "You spent way too much on me. I'm not-"

Noah cut her off sharply. "Don't you finish that sentence. You're worth way more than this."

Sarah approached Elsa, pulling her into another hug. "Noah's right, sweetie. You're worth much more than all this. This is just a small way for us to show you how much we love you. And it wasn't all us. Like I said, the books were donated. And Mr. Briggs gave us quite a discount on the piano," she said, smiling. She pulled back, gripping Elsa's hands. "We have more, if you can handle it."

Elsa blinked. "More? You're trying to make me drown in my tears, right?"

Sarah laughed. She reached up and grabbed an envelope from the top of the piano. "This isn't from us, again. So don't panic. A local church did this for you. We knew that your parents hadn't been saving anything up for you, so we asked around to see what we could do. One of the churches in town organized everything. They called around and got some other churches involved too. Once they heard your story...well, they wanted to help. This is..." Sarah paused, trying to hold back her own tears. "Well, this is what they did for you." She handed Elsa the envelope.

Elsa looked up at Sarah, unsure. She slid a finger under the edge of the envelope, sliding it open. Her hands were shaking. She slowly pulled out a slip of paper. A bank statement. Elsa sank down on the piano bench in shock at the number on the page. She couldn't believe her eyes. $27,478. It was too much, it was all too much. She couldn't help the tears that poured down her cheeks.

Sarah knelt down in front of her, brushing a few strands of hair out of Elsa's face. She smiled sadly. "This is for college. So you can get a good education. There's another thousand in a checking account, for you to spend. I thought we could go get you some new clothes. I think you need a few more t-shirts," she said, smiling.

Elsa choked out something halfway between a laugh and a sob. She set the paper down on the bench beside her, then threw her arms around Sarah's neck, sobbing. Sarah pulled her to her feet, gripping her tightly. They stood there for a while, Sarah putting a hand behind Elsa's head and drawing her closer.

Noah bit the inside of his cheek, holding back a sob. Tears were flowing silently down his face. His father walked over and clapped a hand to his shoulder. Noah looked up, surprised to see his father crying just as freely. Noah had only seen him cry once before, and that had been when Noah's grandfather had passed away. They turned back to watch the girls.

Elsa finally began to quiet down. She pulled back from Sarah, wiping the tears from her eyes. Noah decided that now was a good time to give her his present, mainly so that they could get the tears over with. He wasn't sure Elsa could handle too much more. He walked over to a bookshelf, pulling a wrapped book from its place.

"Last thing, I promise," he said quietly, walking over to Elsa. He handed her the gift, smiling at her. "This is just from me."

Elsa tugged at the wrapping paper, smiling broadly when she saw what book it was. She ran her hand over the cover, sighing. It was _The Giver_. Her favorite.

"Open it."

Elsa opened the front cover, gasping. It was signed. Better than that, it was addressed personally to her, with a message from the author. She traced her fingers over the ink, reading the message. When she finished, she looked up at Noah, tears once again rolling down her cheeks. "Noah, how did you..."

"It was the day after we played that game in the yard, remember? The idea just popped into my head. So I looked for the next place she would be signing books. I called them, telling them my situation, and they agreed to tell her about it, to see if she'd sign one and send it to me. This came in the mail a week later, along with a letter. I'll let you read it if you want, it's upstairs." He paused. "Do you like it?"

Elsa wrapped him in a hug, burying her face in his chest. "I love it," she said quietly, letting her tears take over again for a few minutes. When she pulled back, she looked down at the book in her hands, and then at the room again. She couldn't ever remember feeling more loved. It was overwhelming, but in a good way.

"I just don't know what to say. There are no words to describe how thankful I am. Really, this...it means a lot to me." She would have cried some more, but she seemed to have run all out of tears. Noah wrapped an arm around her again, giving her a quick hug. She returned it, then moved to give Sarah and Jim hugs as well.

Sarah grabbed Jim's hand when Elsa pulled back. "We'll leave you two for a while. I'm going to get started on dinner." She reached out to squeeze Elsa's hand lightly. "Happy Birthday, sweetie."

"Thank you," Elsa whispered. She looked up at Noah, her chin trembling.

Noah smiled, grabbing her hand and pulling her to the armchair. He sat down, dragging her with him. She instantly snuggled into him, nestling her head in the crook of his neck and curling her fingers in his shirt. She trembled against him, no more tears coming out, but her body acting as if they were anyway. Noah held her gently, rubbing her back softly.

After a time, she spoke. "Noah, I don't understand. Why...why all of this...for me?"

Noah frowned. "Because we love you. Do we need any other reason?"

"You...you mean it?"

"Of course I do."

He pulled her closer, wrapping his arms tightly around her. He hated that she was having trouble accepting their love. It made him want to love her even more. She sighed, sinking into him. Not even five minutes later, she was asleep in his arms, seemingly worn out from the day's events. He gave a small chuckle, leaning back and getting more comfortable. He wasn't sure how much time had passed. He looked up a while later to see his mother walking into the room. She smiled sadly at him.

"She's been asleep since a few minutes after you guys left."

"Dinner will be ready in about thirty minutes."

Noah nodded. "I'll wake her in a little bit. I think she was just overwhelmed."

Sarah moved across the room to sit down on the piano bench. She sighed, watching her son hold Elsa in his arms. She looked so peaceful, curled against him. Sarah almost laughed aloud, marveling at how Elsa could be so different in her sleep. The poor girl clearly had feelings for Noah, she just didn't know how to deal with them. Sarah hoped that they were starting to show her what love looked like. "Do you think she had a good day, Noah?"

He smiled at his mother. "I think so. Her best birthday yet."

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**So there it is! I really loved this whole thing, hope you did too :) as always, if you have any ideas for oneshots, let me know! Thanks for all the love and support, and I'll see you all when I have more! ~hearts~**


	14. Music

**Hello again! Didn't think I would have time to post another before I left this week, but I managed to finish this one. I might post one more before I leave, but I'm not sure. Anyway, here's a cute little oneshot for you all to enjoy. Not sure if I've mentioned this yet, but these are all in chronological order. So this one happens a few days after Elsa's birthday.**

**Oh, and the snippets of a song that are in this one are from Smile by Uncle Kracker :)**

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Music

Elsa sat at her piano, eyes closed and fingers brushing across the keys to a rhythm and tune that was only in her head. Reading music had gotten much easier for her over the past few days. She'd spent hours at the piano, working through some of the books of music that they had bought her. It had taken her longer to learn to read the music than it did for her to play what was in her head, though. She discovered that she could play whatever she wanted, when it wasn't on paper, but in her mind.

Noah sat in the armchair, listening to her play. His mouth was hanging open slightly in awe. He had heard her play before, but what she was doing now was incredible, something he hadn't heard from her yet. The complexity of the music she was playing astounded him. She'd only been playing for about a month, and yet she was playing things that he knew a beginner shouldn't be able to play. For that matter, what she was playing was easily expert level.

As Elsa slowed to a stop, her fingers still resting on the ivory keys, Noah walked up behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Els, that was….wow. That was amazing."

She blushed at the compliment. "Thank you. It just…I don't know, it's like it just flows from my fingers."

Noah chuckled. "I know the feeling. Though I don't know if I could ever play something that complex on my guitar."

"Oh, sure you could."

Noah rifled through the books of sheet music on top of the piano, looking for something that was even close to what she had just played. He picked up the book that had the most difficult music, rifling through it until he found a page that was almost more black than white. He plopped it down in front of her.

"Can you play that?"

Elsa frowned glancing at the time signature and key. She flicked her gaze across the page, reading the notes. There were a few notations that she hadn't learned yet. "Well, I don't know what that is," she said, pointing to a note she'd never seen before. She squinted, counting the flags attached to it. "Is that…a thirty-second note? You said it doubles each time you add a flag, right?"

Noah nodded. "That's right."

Elsa continued glancing at the piece. "Well, it would take some practice, but yes, I could play it. The key is a fairly easy one, and the thirty-second notes are the only part of it that looks difficult. Though it's not super fast, so that wouldn't even be that hard." She pointed to a grouping of sixteenth notes. "That jump right there will be kinda hard, because my hands are small. I can barely span an octave."

Noah shook his head. "It sounds so weird, hearing you say all these terms. A month ago, you couldn't read music. Now you're talking about thirty-second notes being easy. Els, what you just played a few minutes ago, multiply the difficulty of _this_ by ten," he said, pointing to the sheet of music in front of her, "and you're close."

Elsa blinked. "Really?"

"Yeah. What you just played…Elsa, that's something I could have heard at a recital at the university. From someone who has been playing piano all their life and took years of practice to be able to play at that level."

"Umm…" Elsa blushed, looking down at her lap. "I…well…" She rubbed her hands together awkwardly.

Noah laughed. "I believe you have a bit of natural talent."

Elsa let out an embarrassed chuckle. "I guess."

"There's no 'I guess' to it. You _definitely_ have natural talent. And a considerable amount of it."

"Thanks," she whispered. Elsa brushed her fingers across the keys without pressing them down, a sudden thought dampening her mood slightly. She had started playing the piano a few hours ago to attempt to drown her thoughts, but the minute she stopped, they came rushing back. A new thought pushed its way forward, and she considered talking to Noah about it. He had told her that she should talk about things when she felt like she could; she needed to get all of that poison out of her system. He had heard a lot from her already, but some things were still hard to talk about.

Elsa clasped her hands in her lap. "My father never liked music," she said softly, looking down at her hands. "Actually, I think he didn't like anything that made me happy. I made the mistake of turning the radio on one afternoon, while I was doing my chores. Unfortunately, my father chose that day to come home from work early. I never heard him pull up. I was cleaning the kitchen, humming to the music when he came in. He grabbed the radio and threw it at my feet." She looked up at Noah, her face a little paler than normal. "That was one of the worst beatings I ever had. Just because I had been listening to music. Because I sounded happy."

Noah grabbed her hand and gently tugged her to her feet. He wrapped his arms around her, pressing his cheek to the top of her head. Elsa breathed deeply and hugged him tightly, gripping his shirt in her hands. Noah pulled back after a second, reaching up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "You know, you can be happy now, Els."

Elsa nodded, blinking back tears.

Noah separated them, pulling his phone out of his pocket. "Here, I have an idea." He put his phone in the dock on top of the piano, then went to his music, searching through the list until he found the song he wanted. He clicked play and then turned around, grabbing Elsa's hands and pulling her into a dance. "This song makes me think of you."

_You're better than the best  
__I'm lucky just to linger in your light  
__Cooler than the flip-side of my pillow  
__That's right_

_Completely unaware  
__Nothing can compare to where you send me  
__Lets me know that it's okay, yeah it's okay  
__And the moments when my good times start to fade_

_You make me smile like the sun, fall out of bed  
__Sing like a bird, dizzy in my head  
__Spin like a record, crazy on a Sunday night  
__You make me dance like a fool, forget how to breathe  
__Shine like gold, buzz like a bee  
__Just the thought of you can drive me wild  
__Oh, you make me smile_

It wasn't even halfway through the chorus before Elsa had a huge smile on her face. Noah always knew exactly how to pull her out of a bad mood. She should have just come to him earlier that day when she was feeling bad, instead of trying to let her mood fade on its own. That never worked, and she knew it. But Noah always succeeded in making her happy. His hand in hers was enough to drive away most of her negative thoughts. But moments like this, where they were silly and crazy and happy, these were moments that made her forget everything, moments that she lost herself in.

She smiled brilliantly through the second verse and chorus, marveling at how Noah seemed to know her so well. He had said this song made him think of her. She knew he meant that it sounded like how she was with him. When her good moments faded, Noah was always there to make her smile. Just like now. She almost laughed aloud at how much the song described them. She pulled Noah to a halt when the next verse came up.

_Don't know how I lived without you  
_'_Cause every time that I get around you  
__I see the best of me inside your eyes  
__You make me smile_

The rest of the song faded in her ears. She stared at Noah, her heart thumping loudly in her chest. She had heard this song before, but she hadn't really applied the lyrics to anything, until now. Those words…she needed to tell him those words. Her gaze flicked down to their clasped hands. They stood there, staring at each other, the song eventually coming to an end. Elsa looked down at the floor, taking a deep breath.

"Noah…I _don't_ know how I lived without you. These past few months have been…" She sighed, looking up at him, drinking in the sight of his beautiful green eyes. "I feel like I'm drowning any time I'm not with you." She paused. _I feel like I'm drowning when I stare into your eyes, too, but that's a different kind of drowning._ "You are, easily, the best thing that has ever happened to me. And somehow, you always see the best of me. You…you love me, even though I feel like I don't deserve it most of the time," she finished quietly, looking back down.

Noah gently squeezed her hands. "Hey, don't talk like that. You deserve everything I can give you." He paused, rubbing her fingers with his thumbs. "I wish there was some way that I could convince you that you're worth it, that you deserve the best. I would go to the ends of the universe and back for you, Els. In a heartbeat." He brushed his fingers gently across her cheek, smiling slightly at her blush. "You're worth that and more. One day, I'll convince you of that."

Elsa bit her lip, elation and utter disbelief warring within her. "I…" She paused, still staring at their hands. "This is hard for me, you know. I was told my whole life that I wasn't worth anything, that I should have never been born." Tears began pooling in her eyes as she glanced up at Noah. "It's hard to erase all of that. It's hard to convince myself that you're right. Seventeen years of hate compared to just a few months of love…it's just…well, it's just difficult to make myself believe you," she finished, looking back down at their hands, tears spilling over and running down her cheeks.

Noah reached up to thumb away her tears. "I know, Els. I know." He pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her and tucking her head against his chest. Eventually, he pulled back, wiping away more of her tears and smiling at her. "I can promise you, I will spend the next seventeen years and beyond showing you every bit of love that I can. I'll make sure that you spend more of your life happy than miserable." Noah put a hand on the back of her neck, pulling her closer to him and resting his forehead against hers. "Promise," he said softly, smiling.

Elsa lost herself in his eyes, staring into them for a few seconds before finally finding her voice. _God, I could kiss you right now._ "What did I do to deserve you?" she whispered. Elsa closed her eyes, trying to control her racing heart.

Noah let out a quiet laugh, pulling back from her just enough to press a soft kiss to her cheek. He leaned in to whisper in her ear, "You're you."


	15. Holidays

**Here's another oneshot for you! I absolutely love this one :) I'm going to attempt to post one more tomorrow morning before I leave on vacation, to leave you with something amazing so that you don't hate me for being gone for a week and a half :D anyway, enjoy this one!**

**Also, the song is Hallelujah, written by Leonard Cohen. The version that I like, and that inspired that part of this oneshot, is performed by The Canadian Tenors.**

* * *

Holidays

Snow covered the ground outside, a gentle trickle of snowflakes falling from the sky. The Holton house was decorated with sparkling white lights, and a massive Christmas tree could be seen through the window of the living room. Elsa leaned up against the wall, staring out of the window at the snowfall. It was always her favorite time of year, though she could never understand why. Winter was always a time for family, and as a child, she didn't really have one. Still, she found the atmosphere and the weather of the winter season to be her favorite. Even if she didn't have a family to enjoy Christmas with as a child, she still liked the feel of the season.

Now though, she had a family. This year would be different. It was the first Christmas that she would be able to spend with people who loved her. She had been enjoying the atmosphere around the house. Sarah was always playing Christmas carols, and singing merrily to them while she baked. Elsa had helped decorate the house, another completely new experience to her. She had already had several furious snowball fights with Noah, and he had taken her out just yesterday to build a snowman and make snow angels. So many things were new to her, but they were all wonderful.

Elsa's thoughts turned to the next day, when Noah's grandparents would be arriving for the family Christmas get-together. She had already met them, last month on Thanksgiving. She smiled at the memories. Jim's mother was a sweet lady, if a bit old-fashioned. She didn't like anything to do with technology, and insisted that Noah play a handful of songs on his guitar that she had bought him all those years ago. Noah hadn't minded; he had enjoyed singing for them. Elsa blushed as she remembered him playing her song for his family. His grandparents had no clue what it meant, but he had stared intently at her the entire time he was singing. She'd had a hard time controlling her tears then.

Sarah's parents were a bit more accepting of technology, but still reminded Elsa of a sweet, old-fashioned couple. Mrs. Conner was quite the cook, and she and her husband always had a story to tell. They were remarkably smart people, always questioning things and thinking about solutions to problems that came up. They were an academic couple, which probably had something to do with their acceptance of technology. Mrs. Conner made Elsa feel like part of the family the minute she arrived. In fact, all of Noah's grandparents immediately embraced Elsa as a member of the family. She had been afraid that she would feel like an outsider, but that hadn't been the case at all.

Thanksgiving had taken away most of her nerves about meeting Noah's family. She knew now that Christmas would be something wonderful and she would feel just as included as the rest of them. She was a tad nervous about this holiday for a different reason. Sarah and Jim had both been bragging about her musical abilities, and if Elsa was correct, she would be asked to play something. She wasn't nervous about messing something up; no, she knew that wouldn't happen. She had just never played for anyone but Noah, so she was a bit…wary. Still, if they asked her to, she would play. She thoroughly enjoyed playing the piano, so she wouldn't mind at all.

A soft voice behind her caused Elsa to start. "Penny for your thoughts?" Noah asked quietly, a small smile on his face.

"Geez, Noah. You scared me," Elsa said, her heart still beating furiously.

"Sorry. You seemed lost in thought."

Elsa glanced out of the window again, watching a few fat snowflakes fall and blend in with the thick covering of snow on the ground. "I was just thinking about Thanksgiving. And your grandparents. It's so lovely, being able to have a family during this time of year. Winter is my favorite season, always has been. But I've never been able to fully enjoy it until now. It's a time for family." She turned around to see him smiling at her. She took a few seconds to admire his form. He stood behind her, arms crossed across his chest, his messy brown hair sticking up in all directions. He was wearing a soft, navy blue sweater and a pair of dark-wash jeans. His clothes clung to his body; his muscles weren't visible through his sweater, but he still looked impressive. Elsa let her eyes wander back up to his face, staring into his cheerful green eyes.

Noah walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his head against the side of hers and gazing out of the window. "Yes, it is a time for family. And now you have that." He squeezed her tightly, hugging her from behind.

"Yes, I do," she whispered, closing her eyes and leaning back into him. _Why do you always make my heart race, Noah? I'm not sure if I can keep holding back my feelings for you, but I know you deserve someone better than me. This is just getting harder and harder. It doesn't help that you tell me you love me so often. And I still don't understand why…_

Elsa extricated herself from his grasp, turning around and grabbing his hand. "Come on, let's go see if Mom needs help."

* * *

The next morning was full of last minute chores and cooking. Elsa stayed in the kitchen almost all morning, helping Sarah prepare everything for dinner that evening. Noah spent the entire morning outside with his dad, trying to shovel the snow off the driveway so that his grandparents would have somewhere to park. Around lunchtime, Sarah's parents arrived. Annette came right up to Elsa, pulling her into a tight hug.

"Hello, dear. It's so wonderful to see you," she said.

"Hey, Nona. It's good to see you too," Elsa responded, smiling as Annette pulled away.

Annette smiled back at her, then put on that typical proud grandparent look. "So, I hear that you are quite the pianist, Elsa. Sarah has told us all about your hours spent at the piano."

Elsa blushed, running a hand through her hair. "I suppose," she said softly, smiling.

"Well, we'll just have to hear some of that later tonight. Maybe after dinner you could play us something?"

"Of course." Elsa laughed inwardly. _Knew it. Oh well, at least I was mentally prepared for it._

Just then, Sarah's father Tim walked into the kitchen, strolling to the bar and plucking a cookie from the plate on the counter. He stuffed it in his mouth, his eyes twinkling when Elsa laughed. He walked back over to her, wrapping her in a hug.

"Hey, Papa."

"Hey there, sweet thing. How's it going?"

"Good," she mumbled, breathing in his scent. He always smelled like sawdust, and Elsa loved it; it was comforting to her. Tim pulled back, ruffling her hair as he did so. Elsa pouted, running her hand back through her hair to straighten it out.

The rest of the afternoon passed by in a blur. Jim's mother, Ellen, got there not long after the Conners. They spent the time leading up to dinner playing card games, laughing and joking the entire time. Elsa's heart was full to bursting with love. She had never been able to enjoy time like this with anyone. Family was a new concept to her, but it was one that she knew she would never give up, now that she understood what it felt like. Noah's grandparents were always a blast to be around, and the atmosphere in the home when they visited gave Elsa a warm, fuzzy feeling.

Dinner was absolutely mouth-watering. There was more food than it was possible for them to eat, and there were so many choices that Elsa couldn't make up her mind on what to get. They ate for a good hour at least, the men going back for seconds. After they finished with the main course, there were the desserts to make their way through. By the time they had finished eating, Elsa was completely stuffed. She helped the ladies clean up, then moved into the living room with them all, sitting down beside Noah on the couch.

Tim patted his stomach, leaning back into the loveseat with a sigh. "Well, Sarah dear, that was absolutely wonderful. A little too wonderful, in fact. I won't be hungry for a week."

Sarah laughed. "Thanks, Dad. But you know Mom helped. She did half of it, at least. And that pecan pie that you ate so much of was all Elsa." Elsa blushed a little at that.

"Yes, well, good job ladies. Delicious meal."

They sat there for a while, trying to let their food settle. After a time, they exchanged gifts. Elsa hadn't been expecting anything at all, but both of Noah's grandparents had gotten her a gift. She was moved beyond words. It was all so new to her, being loved and cared for by so many. They treated her as if she had been a part of their family since she was born. She had no idea why they had accepted her so quickly, but she was extremely thankful for it. By the time they had finished opening all of their presents, the topic of conversation had turned towards music.

"Elsa, sweetie," Ellen said. "Why don't you play us something? Jim's told me all about how good you are with that piano they bought you. We'd love to hear something."

Noah glanced at Elsa, wondering if she would be comfortable playing in front of them. Elsa managed to swallow her nerves, smiling up at them all. "I'd love to," she said, standing. "Noah, would you help me roll the piano out here?"

"Sure." He stood up and followed her into the study, rolling the piano out into the living room. He went back to grab the bench, then sat it down in front of the piano and returned to his place on the couch.

Elsa situated herself in front of the piano, taking a deep breath. She closed her eyes, thinking for just a moment. Then she placed her fingers on the keys and let the music flow. She had no idea what it was that she was playing; it just popped into her head. She didn't think much about the notes she was playing, or even the rhythms. She just let it out. Somehow, when she didn't think about what she was playing, it sounded better. Instinct took over, the music coursing out of her as if it had a mind of its own.

Noah glanced at his family, a huge smile on his face. All of them were captivated, staring at Elsa with their mouths hanging open. Even his parents seemed surprised. Elsa was surpassing herself with the difficulty of what she was playing. Noah shook his head, holding back a chuckle. If she didn't get a full scholarship for music performance from the university, it would be a crime.

When Elsa slowed to a stop, she finally realized what she had been playing. She had been paying more attention to difficulty ever since Noah had pointed out how good she was. She blushed, knowing that what she had just played was likely the most complex thing she had ever played. Beautiful, but difficult. She turned around on the bench, looking back at Noah's family. They were all staring at her with wide eyes, slight smiles on their faces. Annette was the first to find her voice.

"Elsa, honey. That was amazing."

Elsa looked down at her lap, heat radiating from her cheeks because of her flush. "Thank you," she whispered.

Ellen was the next to speak. "It was beautiful, dear. You could play professionally for sure." She glanced in Noah's direction, a small smile on her face. "Noah, sweetie, why don't you go get your guitar? You and Elsa can play something together."

Noah flicked his gaze towards Elsa, taking in her slightly startled appearance. "Alright. It's upstairs, let me go get it." He stood up, pulling Elsa up as he walked past her, motioning for her to follow him. They walked up the stairs silently, Noah easing his door closed behind them when they got to his room.

"Els, are you sure about this? I don't want you to be uncomfortable."

Elsa took a deep breath. "It's fine. I can do it."

"What about playing Hallelujah? You've been playing that one a lot recently, and it's pretty. I know the chords, so it would be easy to play together."

Elsa bit her lip. _Hallelujah. Well, I suppose it's appropriate. And it isn't difficult. But Noah hasn't heard me sing it before…actually, I've never tried singing it. I know the words, but… ah, whatever. I can do it._ "I suppose that's alright."

Noah grasped her hands in his own, looking in her eyes. "You sure?" Elsa nodded in response. Noah released her hands and grabbed his guitar, opening the door and walking back downstairs. Elsa followed him, seating herself at the piano when they made it back to the living room. Everyone got quiet when she sat down. Elsa glanced over her shoulder at Noah, who nodded at her. She took a deep breath and began to play. She played the beginning of the song, her heart thumping loudly in her chest. Before she could lose her nerve, she took one more deep breath and added her voice to the instruments.

_I've heard there was a secret chord  
__That David played and it pleased the Lord  
__But you don't really care for music, do ya?  
__It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth  
__The minor fall, the major lift  
__The baffled king composing Hallelujah_

Noah was almost so shocked that he stopped playing. He had never heard her sing before, and he honestly never thought he would. Why she hadn't sung before then, he would never understand, because her voice was beautiful. It was sweet and mellow, sending shivers through him. Her voice was crystal clear, coming out effortlessly, rich and full. He had never heard anyone sing so beautifully. On instinct, he stood and walked up to her, leaning against the piano while playing. His voice joined hers for the chorus, harmonizing perfectly with her.

_Hallelujah, Hallelujah  
__Hallelujah, Hallelujah_

Noah nodded at her as they finished the chorus, letting her know that he would take the next verse. She nodded back, her fingers still playing the rhythm instinctually. She was amazed that she had even dared to sing, but when Noah's voice melded with hers, she was infinitely glad that she had sung. The combination of their voices sent shivers down her spine. When he began the next verse, Elsa completely lost herself in the music.

_Your faith was strong, but you needed proof  
__You saw her bathing on the roof  
__Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew ya  
__She tied you to a kitchen chair  
__She broke your throne, she cut your hair  
__And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah_

Their voices merged yet again for the chorus, blending together so beautifully that it nearly took Noah's breath away. He was vaguely aware of the open-mouthed stares of his family as they sang.

_Hallelujah, Hallelujah  
__Hallelujah, Hallelujah_

The two of them continued to play, their fingers moving of their own accord. Elsa couldn't ever remember feeling such a thrill while playing music. She had always immensely enjoyed the times when she let the music flow from her fingers, but this was something completely different, something thrilling and…romantic. Her heart swelled with love for the handsome boy beside her. She let the words of the next verse flow, her voice as smooth and gentle as a lazy river.

_Baby, I've been here before  
__I know this room and I've walked this floor  
__I used to live alone before I knew ya  
__Seen your flag on the marble arch  
__And love is not a victory march  
__It's cold and it's a broken Hallelujah_

Her voice rose at the end, getting more powerful and more emotional. Those words spoke to her in particular. She had been hurt before, by people who were supposed to love her and cherish her. But they didn't. And now, she knew what real love felt like. She let her voice join with Noah's once more, taking the higher pitch while he sang the lower in perfect harmony.

_Hallelujah, Hallelujah  
__Hallelujah, Hallelujah_

Noah stared at her as they finished the chorus, his eyes focused intently on hers. He held her gaze, trying to convey a thousand thoughts and emotions with his eyes. He wanted her to know how much this meant to him, how beautiful she was to him. He couldn't believe that they'd never sung together before now. It would be a must from now on. He continued gazing at her as he picked up the next verse.

_Did my best, it wasn't much  
__Couldn't feel so I tried to touch  
__I told the truth, I didn't come to fool ya_

He nearly quit singing from shock as Elsa joined him for the next part, harmonizing with him so beautifully that it made his heart race.

_And even though it all went wrong  
__Stand before the Lord of song  
__With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah_

_Hallelujah, Hallelujah  
__Hallelujah, Hallelujah_

_Hallelujah, Hallelujah  
__Hallelujah, Hallelujah_

As the song came to a close, Noah and Elsa were still staring at each other. Elsa's pulse was racing in her ears. She was positive that her face was a brilliant shade of red. She had never imagined that he might sing with her, but she couldn't think of a better way to sing that song. It was beautiful, what they had done. It was a few seconds before she realized that they were still staring at each other, and she removed her fingers from the keys, clearing her throat as she broke the eye contact.

A voice brought them both out of their thoughts. "Noah, Elsa, that was…" Sarah paused to wipe a few tears from her eyes. "I've never heard anything more beautiful. You should do that more often." Similar statements came from everyone else in the room. Sarah's gaze flicked between Noah and Elsa, a knowing smile on her lips.

Elsa glanced shyly at Noah, her heart still pounding in her chest. _Yes, we should._


	16. Another Beginning

**Alright, here's the last oneshot before I leave! I decided to go ahead and post it now because we are leaving really early in the morning. This one is kind of a fleshed out version of the last little bit of Chapter 4 from Beneath Your Beautiful. Love this oneshot :D anyway, here it is! Enjoy and I'll see you in a week and a half or so!**

* * *

Another Beginning

Elsa sat on the couch, staring absently at the television. The news was on, but she wasn't really listening to it. A swarm of thoughts was pushing its way through her mind, and none of them were pleasant. Even though it had been over a year since her parents' conviction, Elsa still had days where the memories of what was done to her would torment her. She would spend hours where she was unable to get the images out of her head. Noah tried getting her to talk about it as often as she could, but sometimes she would think about things that she'd already talked about. It upset her because she felt as if those things should already be out of her system; she should have forgotten about them, but she hadn't.

She heaved out a sigh, pulling her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. The sound of thunder met her ears, causing her to chuckle inwardly. _At least the weather matches my mood._

A second later, a ball of white fur jumped up on the couch beside her, sitting down almost on top of her. She let a small smile grace her lips, reaching out to curl her fingers into Bear's fur. He always knew when she was having a bad day, and usually refused to leave her side those days. He laid his head on her knee, looking up at her with large, dark eyes full of sadness. She rubbed his back, draping her arm around him and giving him a squeeze.

Several minutes later, the rain finally started to fall. It pounded on the roof of the house, coming down in massive quantities. A memory flashed to the surface at the sound of the rain. Images of her father, drunk, angry, throwing her out into the pouring rain, filled her mind. She vividly remembered being beaten until she could barely move, then being thrown out into the sopping wet yard. She had lain in the mud for hours, shaking with pain and cold. Elsa shook her head, trying to get rid of the images. That was all over now, she shouldn't think about it. She rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands. _Please stop. I don't want to think about this._

When she looked up, Noah was standing in front of her, a sad smile on his face. He reached down to grab her hands, pulling her off the couch. Elsa's heart beat a little faster at his touch. It had gotten harder and harder for her to not react to his touch since Christmas. It seemed as if every time she was around him her pulse started to race. It was even worse at night, though she wouldn't give up cuddling into his side as she slept, even if it made her face practically radiate heat.

"Noah, what are you doing?" she asked, unable to keep the sadness out of her voice.

"Shh. We're going to do something. You need to cheer up."

He began tugging her towards the back door. Elsa fought the smile that was threatening to break out on her face. She had an idea of what he was about to do. Noah always came up with something silly to cheer her up. Most of the time it ended with him singing her song, but she didn't think that would be the case this time. Still, it probably wouldn't be long before he got a smile out of her. It never was very long. When they made it to the porch, and Noah continued to pull her along, she knew she was right. He turned around backwards, slowly backing towards the steps that led off the porch and into the yard.

Part of her still fighting the happiness, Elsa resisted his pull, protesting. "Noah, I'd rather not get soaking wet."

He grinned at her. "I don't care. We're going to have fun."

She let him pull her just a little bit closer to the edge of the porch. The rain was pounding loudly on the roof of the porch, echoing in her ears. She glanced out at the yard, watching puddles form rapidly in the grass. She shook her head slightly. Noah eventually made it to the steps, backing down them cautiously until he was out from under the roof. The rain beat down on his shoulders, quickly soaking his shirt. His hair clumped together, droplets of water dripping from the ends, making it look even spikier than usual.

Elsa felt a smile creep onto her face, unbidden. "You look ridiculous," she told him, laughter in her voice.

Noah sent her another goofy grin. "Come look ridiculous with me."

Elsa had to laugh at that. Finally, she let him pull her out into the rain, knowing that she couldn't resist that adorable grin of his. He always knew exactly how to get to her, knew exactly what to do or say to make her give up her fight. Honestly, she didn't know why she still fought him sometimes. It was as if the part of her that still had negative thoughts was trying to consume her. It was hard for her to fight that side of herself, but she did it now. She pushed away all of her gloomy thoughts, letting Noah sweep her away.

Within seconds, Elsa was completely soaked. Her hair hung in a heavy, dripping braid down her back and her clothes were plastered to her skin. She shivered slightly as Noah pulled her along, moving them out into the center of the yard. He grabbed her by the hands and pulled her into a silly dance. Elsa had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. He looked ridiculous; his dancing skills were practically nonexistent. Still fighting her laughter, Elsa reluctantly smiled, letting him pull her along.

Eventually, Noah stopped his wiggling, chuckling at himself. "I suppose I'm no good at dancing, huh?"

Elsa raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh, no, you were splendid," she deadpanned.

She grinned when he burst into laughter. He pulled her closer to him, taking one of her hands in his own and wrapping the other around her waist. Elsa's heartbeat quickly sped up as he pulled her into a slow dance, gently swaying them back and forth. Part of her still wanted to pull away; this was making it so much harder to resist him. That part of her was quickly being silenced, her heart too full of love to let him go. She rested her head on his shoulder, sighing slightly at his warmth.

Noah leaned his head to the side to rest against hers. "How's this? Better?" he asked softly, his breath tickling the back of her neck.

Elsa fought back a shiver. "I could get used to it." She figured that was better than saying _God, just kiss me_, which was what she was thinking. She could have stayed like that forever, and she resisted the urge to tell him so. She wanted nothing more than to be in his arms forever. Still, she knew there was someone out there that was better for him. She just wasn't good enough for him, she didn't deserve him.

They danced in the rain together, Noah humming quietly as he held her. The ground around them quickly became soggy, puddles forming around their feet and turning patches of the ground into mud. They avoided the worst of it, slowly revolving on a higher patch of ground. Once her heart had calmed down slightly from its panic over slow-dancing with Noah, some of Elsa's dreary thoughts returned. She pulled back from Noah, her face a mixture of emotions.

Noah could sense her dejection, and he frowned at her, concerned. "What is it, Els?"

She knew he would ask. Elsa looked down at their joined hands, a thousand answers to his question flitting through her brain. A tear slipped slowly down her cheek, mingling with the raindrops that had already dampened her face. She kept her gaze directed at their hands as she spoke. "Why? Why do you care so much?" she asked. She had never been so confused in her life. Noah should be falling for some beautiful girl, someone who was good for him. He shouldn't be like this with her, she wasn't worth it. He deserved better.

Noah reached up to stroke her cheek, causing her eyes to flick upwards, meeting his. They were so full of love. Elsa's heart melted, all of her resistance to his affections crumbling as she stared at him. She leaned into his hand as he started singing.

"'_Cause all of me loves all of you. Love your curves and all your edges, all your perfect imperfections."_ He ran a thumb across her cheek and down her jaw, ending with his hand on the back of her neck, sending shivers down her spine. _"Give your all to me, I'll give my all to you. You're my end and my beginning. Even when I lose, I'm winning. 'Cause I give you all.. of me. And you give me all.. of you.. oh.." _

Elsa's heart pounded furiously in her chest at his words. She knew he meant them. She let the last of her walls come crashing down, finally opening up her heart for him. When he began to pull her slowly to him, she thought her heart might stop. He paused, glancing at her, silently asking for some look of confirmation. Elsa let her love for him show in her eyes, begging him to do what she thought he might. A second later, Noah smiled. Elsa's eyes fluttered shut just before his lips made contact with hers.

Her heart skipped a beat or two at the feel of his lips on hers; they were so warm and soft. She tightened her grip on his hand, putting her free hand to his waist. Noah tenderly pressed his lips a little harder, taking her breath away. Before she had even begun to fully enjoy it, he pulled back, staring into her eyes in a way that made her go weak at the knees. She rested her forehead against his, gripping his shirt tightly in her hand to steady herself.

Noah brushed his thumb across her cheek once again. "Are you happy now?" he asked softly.

Elsa let out a small chuckle. "You have no idea."

Noah smiled, pressing a soft kiss to her cheek. "Come on, let's get inside. You look cold."

He pulled her into the house, dripping water onto the floor as they went. They passed Sarah in the kitchen, who glanced up from her reading to smile at them. They had no idea, but Sarah had actually watched the entire thing from the kitchen window. She had grinned from ear to ear when they'd kissed. She knew it was their first, and she was certain it wouldn't be the last.

When they made it upstairs, they each grabbed some dry clothes, going to different bathrooms to change. Elsa peeled off her wet clothes, still feeling as if she was floating on clouds. She pulled one of Noah's sweatshirts on over her shirt, inhaling deeply as she tugged it over her head. It smelled like him, and it made her smile. She squeezed as much of the water out of her hair as she could, pushing stray tendrils away from her face. When she walked back into the bedroom, Noah was already there, waiting on her. He hauled her to the bed, sitting up against the headboard and pulling her into his lap. She sat in between his legs, leaning back against him, draping her braid over her shoulder so she wouldn't get his shirt wet.

Elsa sighed, snuggling into his warmth. "That was my first kiss," she whispered.

Noah traced the edge of her ear with his thumb. "Mine too."

Elsa turned around to look at him, disbelief clearly visible on her face. "You're not serious? You?"

He chuckled, smiling at her. "You've had my heart since I was eight, Elsa. I've been waiting on you ever since."

Elsa blushed, casting her gaze downward. She was still having a hard time believing that they'd kissed. It had felt like a dream. She chuckled inwardly. _Come to think of it, I've dreamed that quite a few times, so it's no wonder it felt like a dream. _She jumped when she felt Noah's lips against her neck. He planted light kisses against the soft skin behind her ear, trailing his way down to her shoulder and back up again, raising goosebumps on her neck. He nipped lightly at her ear, making her heart lurch in her chest. Wrapping his arms tightly around her waist, he pulled her closer. He nuzzled his nose into the hair behind her ear, sighing.

"You are so beautiful," he murmured, his breath tickling her ear and sending shivers down her spine.

Elsa bit her lip, trying desperately to push away her negative thoughts. She sighed, wishing that they would leave her alone for good. Noah caught her sigh and leaned back slightly, frowning.

"What's wrong?"

"It's just…" she sighed again, twisting her hands in her lap. "You could have any girl out there that you wanted. Anna told me months ago that you practically had every girl in school falling at your feet. And yet you picked me. Why? You deserve so much better," she said quietly, looking down at her lap, silently cursing her eyes for letting tears escape. She quickly wiped them away, trying to hold back the next few that threatened to spill over.

Noah pulled her all the way into his lap, turning her sideways so that he could get a better look at her. "I couldn't do any better than you. You say I could have any girl out there that I wanted? Well, guess what?" he asked softly, slipping his hand between the two of hers. "I got the girl I wanted."

Elsa choked out something halfway between a laugh and a sob. She looked up at him with teary eyes. "You mean that? You actually want _me_?"

Noah grinned wolfishly at her. "In more ways than one."

Elsa sucked in a breath, heat creeping up her neck in a raging blush. "Noah!"

He chuckled, pulling her to him once again. Just before his lips met hers, he whispered, "Don't worry. We'll save that for later."


	17. Official

**Hellooo! I'm back! Had an awesome vacation, and wrote a few more one-shots, so I have some stories for you all to read! :) I'm also working on another story, but it might be a while yet before I start posting that one. Anyway, all the one-shots from here on out will happen after the original Beneath Your Beautiful ends. Hope you all enjoy this story! Thanks for all the reads, favorites, and reviews so far! **

* * *

Official

Elsa stomach fluttered with nerves as she held Noah's hand, sitting outside a local Italian restaurant, waiting to be seated. It had been a week since they'd kissed out in the rain, and he had insisted on taking her on an "official" date. She was doing her best to swallow her nerves; it was only Noah, after all. But she had only been to a restaurant a handful of times, and it still felt strange. All of the other times had been with Noah and his family, but this was different. It was just the two of them. Not to mention, the meaning behind it made her extra nervous. Her first date. It was thrilling and nerve-wracking at the same time.

Eventually, they were seated at their table. They ordered their drinks and then sat quietly, glancing at the menu. Noah might have been trying to decide what to order, but Elsa wasn't. She was staring at the menu without really seeing it, thinking of Noah instead. She bit her lip, frowning slightly. Noah's voice caused her to start, looking up to see him smiling at her.

"You're cute when you're nervous, you know," he said softly.

Elsa sent him a small smile, blushing a little. "Umm, thanks. I guess."

Noah chuckled. "If you can't decide what to order, I'd definitely recommend the cheese ravioli. It's fantastic."

Elsa smiled brighter. He always knew when she needed a distraction, a change of subject. "Alright, I'll try that I suppose."

Noah stared at her intently, a small smile on his lips. Things were different between them now, but it was a good different. Every tiny gesture had some hidden meaning, each glance and smile held more emotion, more weight. The way he was looking at Elsa right now sent shivers down her spine.

Noah put his hand on the table, reaching towards Elsa. "Here, give me your hand."

Elsa tilted her head to the side, frowning. "Why?"

"Because I want to hold my girlfriend's hand."

A flush rose to Elsa's cheeks, but she extended her hand across the table to grasp his. Her stomach fluttered again as their fingers touched. He gently stroked the back of her hand with his thumb, smiling at her. After a time, the waiter returned to take their orders. They struck up conversation after he left, and the words that passed between them finally took the edge off of Elsa's nerves. Noah still held her hand, but she wasn't focused on that anymore. Noah was entertaining her with a story about Kristoff.

"So by the time he made it to the top of the tree, Anna was beyond panicking. She kept telling him that he was being stupid and he was going to break his neck. He just laughed at her. Why he wanted to see if he could pull the tree over from the top, I'll never know. Sometimes I don't understand what goes through his brain. Anyway, as I suspected, the tree barely moved when he hung off the top of it." Noah rolled his eyes.

"Well, on the way back down, about two or three branches from the bottom of the tree, he slipped. Lost his grip. Anna screamed so loud I thought my eardrums would bust. But he ended up hitting another branch, straddling it. He landed hard. The look on his face when he landed on that branch, it was priceless." Noah laughed. "I was crying from laughing so hard. Anna was still freaking out though. She wasn't all right until he had both feet firmly on the ground. Kris walked like he'd just gotten off a horse. It was hilarious."

Noah shook his head, grinning. "Best part though, was him saying 'I don't think I'll ever be able to have kids' and Anna telling him 'You better hope you still can' and smacking him on the arm." Elsa laughed at that. Noah smiled. "It took her about two seconds to realize what she'd said, and then I swear she turned the color of a tomato."

They were still chuckling when their food was brought to the table. Noah had been right; the cheese ravioli was delicious. Elsa had never had Italian food before, besides spaghetti, and she decided immediately that she loved it. They finished their meal with only light conversation passing between them. Noah paid for the meal and then walked out to the car, hand-in-hand with Elsa.

Elsa was quiet for most of the car ride home. She was still trying to get used to this whole relationship thing. It was all so new...and slightly terrifying. She had no idea how to do this. She'd never thought she would ever be in a relationship with someone, and she hated the thought that she would do something wrong. Shaking her head, Elsa tried to dispel those thoughts. Noah wouldn't care, anyway. He loved her, faults and all.

She got out of the car, walking up the sidewalk to the front door, still lost in thought. Noah tugged on her hand before she opened the door, getting her to stop on the porch. He turned her to face him, looking down at her with concern.

"Els, is everything alright?"

Elsa opened her mouth to respond, but paused, thinking. She wasn't entirely sure how to answer. Habit told her to tell him everything was fine, but she was trying to break that where Noah was concerned. She wanted to be honest with him. "Well...I guess I'm just..." She exhaled, running a hand through her hair. "I don't know. Being in a relationship is so new to me. I guess I'm just afraid that I'll mess something up," she said quietly, looking down at her feet.

Noah frowned sadly. He thought it would be something along those lines. Putting two fingers beneath her chin, he tilted her head up, forcing her to look into his eyes. "Els, you won't mess anything up. Besides, it wouldn't matter to me. I'll always be here for you, through thick and thin. I promise. Nothing you could say or do would ever push me away."

Elsa blinked back tears. "You mean it?" she asked softly. She hated how weak and vulnerable those words made her sound. She just couldn't seem to allow herself to believe that Noah wanted her, and only her, for the rest of his life. It felt too good to be true.

"Of course I do." He gently brushed away the tears that slipped down her cheeks, leaning down and pressing a tender kiss to her lips.

It was soft and sweet, and it didn't last very long, much like their first. But it still made Elsa's heart pound loudly in her chest. When they separated, Elsa looked up into his eyes. They were so full of love that it nearly took her breath away.

Noah smiled at her, weaving their fingers together. "Come on, let's go inside. We can watch Tangled again if you want."

* * *

Later that night, Elsa stood in the bathroom, staring at her reflection in the mirror. She bit her lip before doing something that she wasn't entirely sure about. She slowly unbraided her hair, letting it hang in gentle waves around her shoulders. She wasn't sure if Noah had ever seen her with her hair unbraided. She always kept it in one long, thick braid. She had quite a lot of hair, and it was easier to manage in a braid. But part of her knew that she had other reasons for keeping it that way. Letting her hair flow freely had always felt wrong to Elsa, like if the rest of her couldn't be free, then her hair couldn't be either. But she was free now; she had no reason to hide.

Running a hand through her hair, Elsa sighed. She was a bit nervous, but she had no idea why. It was silly to be nervous about this. She changed into her nightshirt, still lost in thought. She reached for her shorts, but grasped only the bathroom counter. Frowning, she looked at the floor, searching for her shorts. _Ugh. Guess I forgot them. Great, and I already unbraided my hair. Maybe Noah went to the guest bathroom down the hall..._

Elsa pulled the door open a bit, poking her head out. The sight before her eyes completely stopped her brain from functioning. Her breath caught in her throat, heat rushing to her cheeks faster than it ever had before. Noah was standing beside the dresser, clad in only his pajama pants. He had his shirt in his hands, as though he had just pulled it off when she opened the door. He stood, frozen, staring at her for a few seconds before glancing down at his chest. His eyes flicked back up to her, a flush tinting his cheeks.

Noah certainly hadn't minded that she'd caught him like this. No, what made him blush was the state of her hair. He had never seen it undone before, and he found that she looked even more beautiful with it down. He couldn't seem to stop staring. Realizing that his mouth was hanging open slightly, he quickly clamped it shut, clearing his throat awkwardly.

Elsa tried desperately to stop her cheeks from flushing so much, but even looking at the floor had no effect. She swallowed, trying to find her voice. "Umm, Noah. Could you...uh...toss me some shorts? Bottom drawer."

Noah scrambled for an answer, his brain working in overdrive. "Uh, s-sure." He pulled the drawer open, grabbed a pair of shorts, and tossed them at her quickly. She snapped the door shut as soon as she had them in her hand. Noah stood there, staring at the door, mind completely frozen. His brain seemed to have stopped working. He had no idea how long he stood there, but he was still holding his shirt when Elsa opened the door again, shirt and pants in hand.

Elsa glanced up, seeing Noah still standing there without a shirt on. She bit her lip, trying to get a good look at him without seeing his eyes. He had put on considerable amounts of muscle since the last time she'd seen him shirtless, last summer in the yard with Kristoff. He was more toned than he had been then, but also a good bit thicker. Elsa flicked her eyes across his chiseled chest before shifting them downward, taking in the small trail of dark brown hair just below his navel. She blushed furiously, forcing her eyes upward again. She took in the bulge of his muscled arms, now crossed over his chest. Biting her lip, Elsa chanced a glance at his eyes. They were practically laughing at her.

Elsa frowned now, crossing her own arms across her chest. "Well you can't expect me _not_ to stare at you, especially when you look like that," she said, waving her hand in his general direction.

Noah laughed, uncrossing his arms and putting them behind his back. "Like what you see?" he teased, waggling his eyebrows at her.

Elsa threw her clothes at him, but she laughed, still blushing furiously. Noah dodged the clothes, reaching into a drawer of his dresser for an undershirt.

"Noah," Elsa said quietly. He paused, hand still in the drawer. Elsa bit her lip again, looking at the floor. "You...you can stay like that...if you want." She looked back up to see Noah staring at her, one eyebrow raised. She sighed. "I know you used to sleep in just your boxers, but you...well, you stopped. For me. And I know you get hot at night. I just...you can sleep like that. It won't make me uncomfortable."

Noah still had an eyebrow raised at her. "Really?"

Elsa nodded, looking at the floor again.

"You don't seem sure," he said.

Elsa looked up at him, wishing she didn't have to explain herself. Her flush intensified, but she met his gaze when she spoke. "I promise I'm not uncomfortable. It's something completely different," she said quietly.

Noah's features relaxed and he sent her a small smile. He closed his drawer, walking over to the bed and lying down, pulling the covers up to his waist. He put his arms under his head, propping himself up a little. His position made the muscles in his sides and arms flex.

Elsa scowled at him. _You're doing that on purpose, Noah._ She shook her head, walking to her side of the bed and crawling under the covers. She lay back against the pillows, staring at the ceiling.

"Els, I really can put a shirt on. I promise, I don't mind being a little warm at night if it makes you more comfortable."

Instead of answering, Elsa rolled over on her side, scooting up to him and draping an arm across his stomach. She laid her head against his shoulder. Her heart was thundering in her chest, and her breath had hitched at the feel of his bare skin. She was stiff against him, and she knew he could tell. Eventually, she forced her muscles to relax, sinking into him like normal.

Noah put his arm down beside her, his thumb stroking the small of her back. With his other hand he grasped hers, twining their fingers together and resting their clasped hands against his chest. He could feel her rapid heartbeat; he knew she was nervous. To be honest, he was a little nervous himself. He wasn't sure he was strong enough to handle feeling her laying against his bare skin. Deciding that he needed something to distract him, he spoke. "I really like your hair unbraided, by the way."

Elsa shifted slightly in his grip. "You do?"

"I do. It's beautiful."

"Thank you."

Noah wasn't sure what to say after that. They lay there quietly for a while, Elsa's heartbeat finally slowing down to a more normal tempo. Noah still had a hand at the small of her back. Deciding that he wanted to test the waters, and that it was entirely unfair that she could touch so much of his bare skin, he slipped his hand under her shirt. He heard her suck in a breath. "Is...is this okay?" he asked nervously.

After a few seconds pause, Elsa nodded. "Yeah, it's...fine. It just shocked me, is all."

Noah resumed his stroking, now against her bare skin. He kept his hand at the small of her back, not wanting to make her too uncomfortable. He also wasn't up to testing his resolve. If he strayed any higher, he knew he wouldn't be able to control himself. He sighed, relaxing into the mattress.

Elsa's heartbeat had sped up at his gentle touch. It pounded loudly in her chest, hammering out an even rhythm against her ribcage. She was trying to stem the flow of her thoughts, which were quickly spiraling out of control, into areas that were not at all ladylike. She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. She closed her eyes, dropping her hand to Noah's side and snuggling into him even more.

Noah pulled her closer, keeping his hand under her shirt. He loved this, loved it much more than he was ready to let on. Though she could probably tell, with how quickly his heart was racing. He lay there for a while, gently rubbing his thumb across her back, trying to calm down. After a time, his heart rate slowed. Elsa scooted upwards, moving her head from his shoulder to lay beside his on the pillow. He turned his head to look into her stunning blue eyes.

"I love you, Els."

Elsa had heard him say it hundreds of times by now, but for some reason, the words affected her differently this time. She had never heard the _love_ before; not that he hadn't said it with as much love as he did now. She just hadn't had the ability to hear it. But she heard it now, and she had never felt so much love in return. She was on the edge of a cliff she had never faced before, but she threw caution to the winds and jumped.

"I love you too."

Noah's hand stopped moving against her back. He blinked at her once before a smile graced his lips. He brought a hand to her cheek, cupping it gently before pulling her to him.

Elsa's heart nearly stopped as his lips met hers. It wasn't a passionate kiss, but he kissed her in a way that left no doubt in her mind as to how he felt about her. She had never felt more loved in all her life than she did right then, his warm hand laid against the bare skin of her back and his soft lips pressed into her own. Eventually, they separated, Elsa's pulse pounding in her ears. Noah rested his forehead against hers, the tips of their noses barely touching.

After a time, Noah pulled back, rolling onto his back and pulling her with him. She rested her head on his shoulder again, both of them trying to catch their breath. He lightly stroked her back, resisting the urge to trail his hand up her spine. He couldn't ever remember being happier than he was right now. He sighed, blissfully content. Eventually, Elsa's weight grew heavy against him. He pulled the covers up to her shoulders, wanting to make sure she stayed warm. Noah was sure that his heart would burst with the love he felt. She had been through so much in her young life, so much that she didn't deserve. He had spent the last year trying to make her life as perfect as possible, to make up for her miserable childhood. In that moment, with her lying curled against his bare chest, sound asleep, he knew that he wanted to make the rest of her life even better.


	18. Staying Afloat

Staying Afloat

Elsa stared at her reflection, biting her lip nervously. She had been wearing what she would consider revealing clothing for almost a year, and by now was quite alright in shorts and a t-shirt. This was different, though. Very different. She had never worn something quite like this, at least not that she was supposed to show anyone. Elsa tugged at the bottom of her tankini top, still unsure. _It's almost like wearing just my underwear! God, this is going to be so embarrassing._

With a resigned sigh, she pulled on some shorts and a t-shirt over her bathing suit. Bringing her mass of hair over her shoulder, she began to braid it. Ever since she and Noah had started dating, she'd taken to wearing her hair down occasionally. It felt wonderful to be able to wear her hair differently; she had forced herself to wear only a braid for most of her life. When she finished braiding her hair, she walked out of the bathroom and headed downstairs. Noah was waiting for her in the living room, wearing swim trunks and a t-shirt. Elsa shivered slightly, thinking of later, when they would be in the pool. He would have to take his shirt off…and he'd be wet. She shook her head. _Gah, stop it! That is not at all appropriate to think about._

Noah smiled at her. "Are you ready?" He had two towels thrown over one shoulder, sunglasses perched on top of his head and a bottle of sunscreen in one hand.

Elsa sighed. "As ready as I'll ever be."

"Oh, come on, it won't be that bad. I'm a good teacher, I promise."

Elsa sent him a small smile. _That is not what I'm worried about at all. Why do you have to be so attractive?_ She shook her head once more, following Noah out of the front door and grabbing his hand as they walked down the sidewalk. She had to work to keep a stupid grin off her face; it still amazed her that she and Noah were dating. It felt so strange, being in a relationship, but she realized that she wouldn't trade it for the world.

"You're sure Kris' parents don't mind us borrowing their pool?" she asked, pulling her own sunglasses down over her eyes as they walked.

"Nah, I've spent about half my summer there almost every year since sixth grade. They don't mind at all." He paused, glancing down the street before crossing. "Anna and Kris will be there too. And Mrs. Lisa said she would fix us lunch." He looked sideways at her, trying to read her expression. "It'll be fun. We don't have to swim the whole time either."

They walked the rest of the way in silence. Elsa sighed quietly to herself, enjoying being able to hold Noah's hand. She'd gone for so much of her life without any form of positive human contact that she couldn't seem to go a day without it anymore. She treasured every single moment that she could hold Noah's hand, relished all of the small touches between them.

Eventually, they reached Kristoff's house. Noah rapped on the door with his knuckles before pushing it open. He tugged Elsa to the rear of the house, pausing in the kitchen to say hello to Lisa.

"Good morning, Mrs. Lisa," he said cheerfully.

"Hello dears. Anna and Kris are already out at the pool," she answered, smiling.

Noah and Elsa walked outside, setting their things down on the table beside the pool. Anna and Kristoff didn't even notice them coming outside; they were in the middle of a furious water fight. Kristoff sent a massive wave of water at Anna, hitting her square in the face. She spluttered, blinking the water out of her eyes.

"Ugh!" Anna wiped the water out of her face as he sent another sheet of water in her direction with his forearm. He was laughing the whole time. Anna frowned, then propped herself up on the edge of the pool and used her feet to kick water into his face.

"Anna! Hey, that's not fair!"

"It is so! You make bigger waves than me, so this is the only way I can compete with you." Anna looked up when she heard Noah laugh. "Oh, Noah! Elsa! We didn't hear you come up."

Noah laughed again, a grin on his face. "Well you might have, if you hadn't been trying to drown each other."

"It was fun though," Kristoff said, pushing himself off and floating on his back in the water. He waved his arms to keep afloat, then turned his head slightly to glance at Noah. "Come on, get in."

Noah flicked his gaze towards Elsa, watching her stand there with her arms crossed. "Just a minute," he answered. He walked towards Elsa, putting his hands on her shoulders. She looked up at him, her eyes hidden behind her sunglasses; but he knew she was nervous. "You'll be fine, Els. I promise I won't let anything happen." She nodded her head in response. Noah backed up and tugged his shirt off, laying it across the back of a chair. He grabbed the bottle of sunscreen and began covering his chest and arms.

Elsa pulled off her sunglasses, setting them on the table. She tried to keep her flush at bay, but it was useless. Her gaze was drawn to Noah's chest as his hands rubbed in the sunscreen, massaging it into his skin. She hadn't seen this much of him since that night he had slept with his shirt off. He hadn't done it since, worried about embarrassing her. She blushed brighter and looked down at the ground, slipping off her shoes. She took a deep breath before pushing her shorts off. _Gah, this feels weird._ She looked up, seeing Noah watching her with a sly grin. She tossed her shorts at him. She tugged her shirt over her head quickly, wanting to get the worst of it over with. Surely she'd get used to showing this much skin. Grabbing the bottle of sunscreen from Noah, she began rubbing some in, careful to avoid Noah's gaze.

Anna watched the two of them flirt back and forth, rolling her eyes. "You two are ridiculous. You're like twelve-year-olds, flirting like that."

Noah sent her a glare. "I had to watch you and Kris flirt for years before you even started dating. And then it only got worse for a while. I think I'm entitled to a little bit of flirting." He glanced at Elsa, smiling a little at her blush. He reached for her hand, pulling her towards the shallow end of the pool. "Come on, let's get in." He tugged her close to the edge, then walked closer to the deep end and jumped in. The chill of the water took his breath away, but he quickly got used to it. He pushed his sopping wet hair off of his forehead, swimming towards Elsa with strong strokes.

Elsa had watched the entire thing biting her lip, trying to control her racing heart. Noah's muscles rippled as he swam towards her. She watched the muscles in his shoulder work, her brain buzzing. She jumped slightly when he reached out a hand for her.

Noah smiled, still holding out his hand. "It's alright. I won't let go. Sit down on the edge and slide in, you can stand up right here."

Elsa did as he instructed, sucking in a breath when she slipped into the cold water. She held on to Noah's hand tightly, praying silently that this would be easy to learn. She didn't want to embarrass herself.

Noah crouched down lower in the water, ending up on his knees. He was so tall that his shoulders were still above the water line. "Dip under, get your hair wet," he said, splashing her a little. She looked uneasily at the water. Noah smiled, stroking the back of her hand. "Just hold your breath, Els, and close your eyes. I'll tug you back up if you get disoriented." He gripped her hand tightly as she went under, watching as she pushed herself back up, her head breaking the surface of the water making his heart thump in his chest. She rubbed the water out of her eyes, and he smiled. "See, not hard right?"

Elsa shook her head. She pushed her hair out of her face, smoothing it back. "It feels strange. Like I'm weightless."

Noah nodded. "Yeah, it does that." Noah glanced over his shoulder at Kristoff. "Hey, Kris. You mind showing her the strokes, so I can stay right here?"

Kristoff shrugged. "Sure." He slipped under the water and swam towards them, kicking his feet behind him.

"See how he's doing it? The way he moves his arms? It's kinda like this," he said, stroking his arms out in midair.

"Yeah."

Noah could tell she wasn't exactly ready for that. "Swimming on top of the water is the same. It's when you stay still in one spot in the deep end that's different. Treading water. It takes a lot of muscle, so we don't do it that often. Mostly we just swim from side to side, or grab a float if we want to hang out in the deep end." He watched as Kristoff broke the surface, shaking his hair out of his eyes. "Kris, mind treading water now?"

Kristoff complied, swimming out a little farther to get to a place where he couldn't touch the bottom.

Noah pointed. "That's how you tread. But we don't have to do that. It's no fun." He waved a hand at Kristoff, signaling that he could return to Anna. "Thanks Kris!" He grabbed Elsa's other hand, pulling her closer to him. "Are you ready to try? I'll have to let go of you."

Elsa took a slow, shaky breath. "Okay. I'll try."

"Just swim on the surface for now. I'm going to stand right here where the bottom starts to slope, and you stand at the stairs and swim towards me. If you panic, just put your feet down and stand up." She nodded, her face pale, but looking determined. He walked her towards the stairs, then slowly let go of her hand. "You alright?" he asked, backing up slowly towards the slope when she nodded. He stopped right at the edge of it, a good ten feet from Elsa. He stood waiting for her. "Whenever you're ready."

Elsa took a deep breath, then pushed off with her feet, swimming clumsily towards Noah. She held her breath through part of it, but managed not to panic. She reached out for his hand as soon as she was close enough, and he tugged her upright.

"Very good," he said smiling. "It's not that hard, right?"

"No, it's not. It's the underwater stuff that has me worried, I guess." Elsa glanced at the deep end, her gaze wary.

Noah nudged her with his elbow, bringing her gaze back to his own. "You don't have to try that yet. Only when you're ready."

They spent another hour or two in the pool, relaxing and having a good time. Elsa had grabbed a float and just hung in the deep end, her chin resting on the float in front of her. She watched the boys throw splash bombs back and forth at each other, a few smacking so hard agains their skin that she was sure it would leave a mark.

"Ouch!" Kristoff yelled, rubbing his eyes. "Dude, that was my face!"

"Noah, be nice," Elsa scolded. He stuck his tongue out at her.

A voice from the back door of the house caused them all to turn their heads. "Lunch is ready, kids!"

They scrambled out of the pool, Noah reaching for Elsa's hand and tugging her out of the deep end. They sat down at the table by the pool, digging in to a lunch of hot dogs and chips. When lunch was finished, Anna and Kristoff immediately jumped back in, each grabbing a ring float and drifting in the deeper water. Noah lounged back in his chair, stretching his arms out and putting them behind his head. Elsa tried to keep from staring, but her eyes seemed to be drawn to him. She was proud that she had managed to avoid embarrassing herself while they were in the pool; she hadn't stared _that_ much. But now, with the water drying on his skin, only a few droplets left here and there, she was struggling to keep her eyes to herself.

Noah cracked open an eye, catching Elsa looking at him. He chuckled a little, standing up and reaching out for her. "Come on, let's get back in. I want you to swim underwater before the day is over." They waded back into the pool, Noah still holding her hand. He instructed her to try swimming underwater in the shallows, pushing off from one wall and swimming to the other. Elsa did as he told her, a little more nervous than she had been before. Still, she managed to make it across without panicking.

"Nice, Els! See, I told you you could do it."

"Well, I thought staying oriented would be harder than it is. But it's actually easy." She glanced towards the other end of the pool. "Can you go to the other end? I think I can make it all the way down there in one breath."

Noah raised an eyebrow at her. "You sure?"

She nodded, determined. It turned out that she was right. She made it all the way to the other end of the pool, swimming right into Noah's arms. She spent a while after that swimming back and forth, getting more and more confident as the time wore on. An hour or so later, Noah laughed at her, shaking his head.

"You're like a fish, Els. You've gotten really good."

She smiled brightly at him, swimming lazily to his side. He was standing on the slope leading into the deeper part of the pool. "It's a lot of fun," she said, reaching for his hand and watching Anna and Kris float around the deep end together. Noah reached for her other hand, turning her to face him. He backed into water that was a little deeper, letting it come up to about mid-chest.

"Come here," he said, tugging her closer. "Wrap your legs around me." He picked her up by the waist and she wrapped her legs around his hips, hooking her ankles together behind him. She placed her hands on his shoulders and leaned in, resting her forehead against his. She tried to keep her mind off of the feel of his bare skin against hers, but that was made difficult by the fact that her thighs were pressed against his bare sides. She closed her eyes, listening to the sounds of the water lapping against the edge of the pool and the crickets beginning to chirp, letting them drown out her thoughts. She barely noticed when Noah pulled back a little, but she certainly noticed when his lips touched hers. She gripped his shoulders tightly, pressing into him, heart thumping loudly in her chest. When he pulled back, his eyes were shining, full of love.

Elsa sighed, leaning her forehead against his once more. "Thank you for teaching me to swim today."

"You're welcome," he murmured. He leaned in to touch the tips of their noses together. He stared into her beautiful blue eyes, losing himself for a moment. His eyes were intent, sincere, when he whispered, "I love you."

A grin crept onto Elsa's face. "I love you too," she answered softly.


	19. Boxes and Conversations

**Hello again all! I love this one, just for the father-son moment that happens :) it's hilarious, if I do say so myself. This one is a bit longer than most of the others, but I didn't want to cut anything out. So enjoy a lengthy one-shot! Yay! And more to come after this, obviously. We aren't done with Noah and Elsa yet ;)**

* * *

Boxes and Conversations

Trees whipped past as the car sped on towards Seattle, Elsa staring out of the passenger side window thoughtfully. She and Noah were following his parents, who were right behind a large moving truck that was packed to the roof with all of Noah's and Elsa's things. They had even packed up the piano, wrapped snugly in blankets and nestled between some other pieces of furniture.

They were on their way to their new apartment in the city, just outside of the campus of the University of Washington. They would be starting classes in a week, and Elsa couldn't be more excited. She thought back to her scholarship auditions, a smile on her lips. She had been incredibly nervous that day, even though Noah was constantly reassuring her that she would do fine. Indeed, he had been right. She did well beyond fine. The university offered her a full scholarship if she chose music as a major. Her piano skills had impressed the professor that was holding her audition, especially when she had told him she had only been playing for a year and could play at that level a month or two after starting. He had gaped at that.

She had, of course, accepted the scholarship. But she knew she wouldn't like the life of a professional musician, so she decided to double major. It would be hard work, she knew that. But her second major of information and library sciences would be something that could get her a job that wouldn't constantly move her around. _Somewhere near Noah…I couldn't imagine leaving him, and that's what I would have to do as a professional musician._

Elsa let her head sag back against the seat, lost in thought. About thirty minutes later, she felt a hand shake her shoulder, and she opened her eyes, blinking rapidly at the sunlight. She hadn't realized she had fallen asleep.

"We're here, Els."

Elsa yawned, trying to cover her mouth with a hand. "Have you gone in for the keys yet?"

Noah shook his head. "No, I was waiting on you. I think we still have some papers to sign."

Elsa got slowly out of the car, stretching her muscles. She followed Noah and his parents into the apartment complex's office. They finished all the paperwork and each received a key to the apartment. Elsa smiled as she fingered the ridges on the blade of the key. She had never thought she would ever get to this point. College had been a far-off dream, one that didn't seem possible, yet here she was, a week away from her first day of classes.

They loaded into the elevator, riding up to the fifth floor. Noah turned left, walking down the hall and passing one door on the left before stopping at the next: 507. Their new home, at least during school semesters. He took a deep breath and then pushed his key into the keyhole, smiling when he heard the click of the lock. He pushed the door open and walked inside, Elsa and his parents following behind.

They walked into a nice entryway, to the left of which was their only bathroom. Elsa peeked inside, satisfied with the size of it. It had double sinks, which made her extremely happy. Noah was not very good with his toothpaste. She walked back into the foyer and opened the door to the right of the front door. It was the first of two bedrooms, both of which were a good size. The hallway that led straight out from the front door led to the kitchen and living room on the left, and the second bedroom on the right at the end of the hall. The kitchen was galley-style, with a bar counter where they could put a few stools. It opened up into a small space for a dining table and the living room beyond.

Sarah came up behind Elsa in the kitchen, putting a hand to her shoulder. "This is wonderful, dear. I'm so happy for the two of you. And so proud. Starting college, getting your first apartment." She smiled, holding back tears.

Elsa grinned up at her, embracing her tightly. "Thanks, Mom." She pulled back, sighing and glancing around at the new cabinets and countertops. "I don't think we would have been able to get such a nice place if it wasn't for that check. And my scholarship."

Noah walked into the kitchen then, grinning from ear to ear. "Nice place, isn't it? Shall we go downstairs and tell the movers where to go?"

For the next several hours, they all worked to put things in their place as the movers brought it inside. Furniture was brought in, along with a host of boxes. There were many hurried apologies and pardons uttered as they stepped on and around each other to carry boxes to the right room. Noah narrowly avoided being clobbered on the head with the television as it was being carried in, and Elsa was sure that her toes would be bruised from being stepped on so many times. Eventually, the movers had brought everything up and it was left to the four of them to put everything where it went. By dinner time, they were starving, but the apartment was finished.

Jim ordered them some pizza and they all collapsed on the couch, waiting for it to arrive. Elsa leaned her head on Noah's shoulder, letting her eyes droop shut for a little while. Noah wrapped an arm around her shoulders and leaned back on the couch, sighing.

"Mom, Dad, thanks so much for helping us out. The place looks great," he said.

Sarah waved away his thanks. "No problem, dear. It does look wonderful. I was surprised that the piano fit into the living room here. I had thought it would have to go in Elsa's room."

"Same here," Noah said. He fell silent, glancing out of the window at the city view they had. They were in a beautiful area of town, one that was quite popular with the college students. He was amazed that they had gotten such a wonderful apartment. He flicked his gaze sideways, looking at the top of Elsa's platinum blond head. He couldn't believe that his parents hadn't minded them sharing an apartment on their own. He desperately hoped that he would be able to control himself…for the next four years. _Oh boy…that will be hard. And she doesn't make it any easier for me, with that beautiful smile. And those eyes…gah._

Fifteen minutes later, someone knocked on the door. Jim went to answer it, coming back a minute later with two boxes of pizza in his hands. They piled into the kitchen, laughing and talking as they ate.

Sarah sent a sly look at Elsa and Noah as she finished her plate, sitting back in her chair. "You know, all of this furniture that we've gotten you is extremely nice. It will serve you both well when you get married."

Elsa choked on her pizza, heat rushing to her cheeks. She glanced at Noah, catching the barest hint of a flush on his cheeks, but he was smiling nonetheless. She cleared her throat awkwardly.

Laughter bubbled to Sarah's lips, Jim letting out a chuckle as well. Sarah smiled, patting Elsa gently on the back of the hand. "Elsa, you should see your face, dear. That was priceless." She laughed again as Elsa colored even more. "I'm not meaning to poke fun, sweetie. But I meant what I said. This furniture will last you quite a while."

Noah decided to come to the rescue. "Yeah, you're right. It will." He paused for half a second, then changed the subject. "Mom, did you buy any ziploc baggies? We can save the last couple pieces of this pizza."

Sarah's eyes glinted with amusement, but she went with the change of subject anyway. "Yes, dear, they're in the cabinet by the refrigerator." She stood up to put away the pizza, Elsa helping her out after she finished her last piece. As the ladies were cleaning up after dinner, Jim put a hand to Noah's shoulder.

"Son, can I talk to you for a minute?"

Noah looked at his father quizzically. "Sure, Dad." He followed his father into his bedroom, biting his lip nervously when his father shut the door. _Uh-oh. I have a feeling I know what this is about._

Jim clasped his hands behind his back, wondering where to start. Finally, he took a deep breath, and plunged right in. "Look, Noah. You're a good man. I've always trusted you to do the right thing. Never had to worry about the choices you'll make. But," he said, staring intently at his son, "four years alone with a girl can tempt any man. I know how hard it is." He paused, gathering his thoughts. "I know you'll try your best, son. But…I want you to know that if something does happen, your mother and I are fine with it."

Noah blinked, completely startled. _Did I really just hear what I think I heard?_

Jim chuckled at Noah's baffled expression. "That is most certainly _not_ permission to do as you please. You aren't entirely out on your own yet, and I'd like to think that I still have a measure of control. All I'm saying is, if something does happen, we won't be disappointed with either of you." He raised an eyebrow at Noah. "As long as you make sure to take precautions."

Noah colored, looking at the floor. He knew what his father meant.

Jim walked up to Noah and clapped him on the shoulder. "Noah. Your mother and I both know how hard it will be. I'll be honest with you; when your mother and I married, we weren't pure. We'd fooled around." He pushed on, ignoring the look of shock on his son's face. "But, I'll tell you the same thing my father told me." He lowered his voice, speaking more seriously than he had for the entire conversation. "You make sure that the girl you fool around with is the one you want to marry."

After a moment of silence, Noah cleared his throat. "Dad, I…I hope you know that I wouldn't want to…" He paused, blushing furiously. "Well, I wouldn't want to fool around with any girl but Elsa, and…well, I'd already planned on asking her to…" He ran a hand through his hair in frustration, sighing. "She's the one I want to marry, Dad. I've known that for years. But that doesn't mean that I won't try to control myself!" he added quickly.

Jim's gaze softened. "I know, son. I'm just telling you my conditions. Make sure you're going to marry her, and use protection."

Noah's flush deepened. "Yes sir," he said, staring at the floor again.

Jim squeezed his shoulder, smiling. "Enough of all this. Let's get back to those beautiful ladies, shall we?"

When they returned to the kitchen, Elsa glanced at Noah with a frown on her face. She could still see a bit of color in his cheeks. She wondered what they had been talking about, but decided not to ask. There was a reason the conversation was private. _Maybe I'll ask Noah tonight, after they leave._ Noah's parents stayed around for a few more hours, all of them playing card games and trying to delay the time when Sarah and Jim would have to leave. When it finally became too late for them to ignore having to leave any longer, they halted their card game.

Sarah looked at Jim, sighing. "Well dear, are you ready to leave? We have an hour long drive back home."

"Yes, I suppose we should be going."

The family moved into the entryway, Sarah doing her best to hold back her tears. There were hugs given out, and kisses to cheeks. Noah chuckled at his mother when she gripped him tightly, but he was secretly holding back a few tears of his own.

"It's alright, Mom. We'll come back some weekends, and definitely for holidays."

Sarah pulled back and patted his cheek. "I know, sweetie. I'm just going to miss you." She gave Elsa a watery smile. "Both of you."

Eventually, they were out of the door and headed home. Elsa leaned back against the wall in the foyer with a sigh. "Glad that's over. I think your mother was trying to make me melt with embarrassment. She kept sliding hints at me the whole day, talking about marriage and all that."

Noah let out a small chuckle. "She's just happy for us. And I think she's been planning my wedding since I was a baby." He sighed, looking at his phone to check the time. "Well, I think I'm going to head to bed. You?"

"Yeah, I'm beat." Elsa walked up to Noah, standing on the tips of her toes to give him a kiss on the cheek. "Goodnight," she whispered.

Noah pulled her back towards him with a few fingers under her chin. He placed a soft, lingering kiss to her lips. "Goodnight," he said softly.

Elsa walked down the hallway to her room in a daze. She closed the door behind herself, staring at her room but not seeing it. Eventually, she shook herself out of her thoughts. She glanced around the room, this time taking in her surroundings. It felt strange to have a room to herself again. She had been spending the last year and a half in Noah's room each night. She wasn't sure if she liked having her own room or not.

She crossed the room to her dresser, pulling out some pajamas. Her mind wandered as she changed, thinking about all the things Sarah had said that day. Elsa sighed as she unhooked the clasp of her bra. It would be a relief to sleep without it tonight. As much as she loved sleeping with Noah, that had been the one thing that had bothered her. She had slept in her bra each night, feeling that it was beyond inappropriate not to wear it in his presence. Elsa flipped her light off and then walked to her bed, getting in on the same side she had always gotten in on Noah's bed.

She sighed as she sank into the mattress. It had been a long day. Her eyes drooped shut almost instantly. But as she lay there, rolling over a few times to get comfortable, something felt distinctly wrong. She realized with a start that she missed Noah's warmth beside her, missed draping her arm across his chest as she slept. She grabbed a pillow, thinking that having something to hold on to would help, but it didn't. After a solid hour of tossing and turning, she gave up. _It's no use. I can't sleep without him._ Her heart thumped a little louder at that thought.

Getting out of bed, Elsa walked softly to her door and down the hallway. She paused in front of Noah's door, not wanting to disturb him, but desperately needing him. She knocked quietly on his door before she nudged it open. "Noah?" she called out.

Noah's head popped up off his pillow, his eyes barely visible in the dim light filtering in from the hallway. "What is it, Els? Are you alright?"

"I…" Elsa paused, still standing mostly in the hallway, feeling silly. "I can't sleep," she mumbled, glancing at the floor.

Noah chuckled. "I can't either. Come here, then."

Elsa didn't waste any time. She hurried into his room, closing the door behind herself and padding gently across the room to his bed. She crawled up under the covers, curling against his side instantly. She stiffened at the same time he did. She hadn't thought about the possibility of him sleeping in just his boxers, but he certainly wasn't wearing anything but that flimsy piece of fabric. Elsa had draped one leg across his out of habit, since that was how she slept with him, but she hadn't been expecting to come in contact with his bare skin. His voice jarred her out of her thoughts.

"Uh, Els…you…" Noah's breath hitched. "You realize you aren't…wearing a bra," he said, his voice cracking a bit.

Heat rose to her cheeks and her heart began pounding furiously in her chest. "I…uh…I forgot." She paused, trying to gather her thoughts. She had originally thought that the heat to her cheeks and the fluttering of her stomach was just embarrassment, but when she thought about it more…she realized that wasn't it. She rarely got embarrassed around Noah anymore, at least when they were alone. Elsa blinked as she realized that she wasn't embarrassed, she was…nervous. Shy. Anxious. And for some reason…excited. That scared her a little. She cleared her throat. "I can…umm…go put one on. Won't take long." She made to get up, but Noah tightened his grip.

"No, it's…it's alright. I was just shocked."

"You sure?" she asked quietly.

"Positive."

After a time, Elsa relaxed against him. She closed her eyes, letting her unexpected emotions wash through her. She found that she enjoyed the feel of them. They made her feel warm inside. Eventually, the racing of her heart slowed. She relaxed even further, bringing her hand up to trace patterns on Noah's chest with her fingers.

"Noah, what did your dad want to talk to you about?"

He let out a quiet chuckle. "Uh…" He wasn't really sure he wanted to talk to her about that just yet. He wasn't exactly embarrassed to tell her…no, he was really just nervous. He wasn't sure where it would take them in their relationship. Eventually, he decided that it couldn't hurt to tell her. "Well…he was telling me that…" Noah sighed, trying to figure out how to get this to come out right. "He gave me a few…conditions. Some that were given to him by his father. He told me that if I decided to…" Noah paused, heat rising to his cheeks. "Well, fool around…he said to make sure I wanted to marry the girl before I did. And to, ah, take precautions."

He felt Elsa stiffen against him again. After a moment of stunned silence, she spoke. "Are you…really? He said that?"

Noah sighed. _Ah, geez, out with it, Noah. She's bound to know that you've wanted to for a long time now._ "Yeah. He started it by saying that he knows how hard this will be for me. Four years, alone with you," he said softly. "It will be tempting. He just wanted me to know that, as long as I followed his conditions, his rules, he would be okay with it. He said that they wouldn't be disappointed with us."

Noah paused, letting his words sink in. "I'll be honest with you, Els. It will be tempting. It's tempting right now." He hugged her closer to his side, burying his nose in her hair and breathing in her scent. "But, I'll try. I'm just not sure how long I can hold out."

Elsa was struggling to keep her emotions in check. Her heartbeat was rapid, pounding loudly in her ears. She drew in a sharp, unsteady breath. "Are…do you…I mean…" She paused, taking a deep breath and attempting to control herself. She focused on the words, trying to get them to come out right. "Do you mean that you want to marry…me?"

Noah tipped her head back, pulling back a little himself so that he could look her in the eyes. "I thought that was obvious," he said softly. He leaned in, pressing a chaste kiss to her lips. When he pulled back, he brushed a few fingers gently across her cheek. "I want you, and only you, for the rest of my life. I'll make it official one day," he said, smiling.

Elsa smiled back at him, a tear or two escaping her eyes. She had no idea how she had gotten so lucky. She clearly had the best man in the entire world. She snuggled into his side, now completely comfortable with the fact that he was only in his boxers and she wasn't wearing a bra. She knew that, whatever happened from here on out, Noah would always be there.


	20. Memories

Memories

The first snow of the season could be seen falling lightly from the living room window. Noah had started a fire in their fireplace earlier that evening, and now sat on the floor at the coffee table, bent over the final draft of his latest essay for English. He held his pencil between his teeth, eyes flicking across the page in front of him. Elsa sat with a mug of hot chocolate, curled under a blanket on the couch. For once, she didn't have any homework. Her two majors and a foreign language minor usually kept her busy each night, but tonight was a welcome respite from the typical onslaught of work.

Noah suddenly threw down his pencil, rubbing his tired eyes. "I can't handle any more of this tonight. I love English, but I've had enough for now." He stood up, draining the last of his hot chocolate from his mug before joining Elsa on the couch, crawling under the blanket with her.

"Oh, quit complaining," Elsa said, rolling her eyes. "ILS and French have me writing twice as many essays as you. But I don't leave them 'til the last minute."

Noah scoffed. "This isn't due until Friday, thank you very much. I have all day tomorrow to work on it."

"Yeah, yeah," Elsa said, sending him an exasperated smile. She turned her gaze towards the fire, watching the flames eat away at the logs. Amusedly, she compared that to her thoughts. The flames of her childhood at times seemed to eat away at her happiness, her self-esteem, every positive thought or emotion she had built up for the last two years. There were still days where she felt like she was drowning in the memories, where terrible thoughts haunted her all day long. It was the one downside to her having no homework today; today was one of her bad days.

Her amusement at Noah's complaints quickly melted away, replaced by gloom once again. She stared at the flames, her mind filled with images that she would rather keep out.

Noah had noticed her glum mood earlier that morning, but he hadn't had time to talk to her. They had both been busy with classes that day, and Elsa had had a music lesson that afternoon. When she came home, he was already working on his homework. This was the first bit of free time he'd had with her all day. He glanced at her, taking in her blank stare, concerned. "Els?" he said. She continued staring absently at the flames, not hearing him.

He tried calling her name a couple more times, but still couldn't get her attention. Even tugging her mug out of her hands didn't work. He hoped she wasn't having another anxiety attack. Frantically, he waved a hand in front of her face. "Elsa!"

She was reliving one of her worst memories, the day Jace had assaulted her in that alleyway. Her father had hit harder, but Jace was more accurate. She could almost feel the ache left by his blows. She could certainly vividly remember the venom in his gaze. A hand flashed suddenly in front of her eyes and she jerked, drawing back. She closed her eyes, panicked, terrified. Two gentle hands gripped her shoulders. Confused, she opened her eyes, staring into a pair of beautiful green ones filled with concern. She glanced around the room, noting that it was nothing like the alleyway. She felt herself being pulled into Noah's embrace, shuddering when her cheek met his chest. _Why did that feel so real?_

Noah's heart ached for her, sad that she had flinched away from him. "Elsa, I would never hit you. Never. You don't ever have to be afraid of me." He hugged her as tightly as he could, feeling her tremble with sobs against his chest.

Elsa gasped, trying to get in enough air to answer him. _Afraid of you? How could I ever be afraid of you? You've shown me more love and kindness than anyone in my entire life._ She drew in another unsteady breath. "I know. God, I'm so sorry." She rocked slightly in his grip, another wave of sobs taking over.

Noah couldn't believe she was apologizing. Nothing bad that had happened to her had ever been her fault. "Hey, hey, it's okay. Shh. It's okay." He gently rubbed her back with one hand, holding her hand tightly with his other.

Elsa shook her head, tears still running in streams down her cheeks. "No. I didn't mean to flinch away from you, I was just…" She sucked in another breath, trying to calm down. "I was just lost in a memory."

Noah pressed his cheek to the top of her head. "I know, Els. It's okay."

Elsa shook in his arms, still struggling to reign in her emotions. It was a while longer before she stopped crying. She sat curled against his chest, gripping his hand tightly and staring out of the window at the snow. Eventually, she felt calm enough to speak. She needed to get this out of her head. "Did I ever tell you about the time you caught Jace hitting me?"

Noah's hand stilled against her back. "No, you didn't."

Elsa shuddered. "That was one of the worst days of my life. Earlier that day, at school, he had cornered me in the hallway when classes were changing. There were tons of people watching. He acted like a gentleman for once, putting on an act for everyone that could see." She paused, her eyes glazing over, going back to that horrid day. "He asked me out. Right there, with everyone watching. But I knew what he really wanted. He just wanted a plaything, a toy." She felt Noah stiffen beside her; he was getting angry.

Elsa let out a humorless chuckle. "Well, somehow I found a bit of fire, a bit of spunk. I answered in probably the stupidest way possible." She glanced up at Noah, still leaning into his side. "I told him, 'Hell no.'"

Noah snorted with laughter, his anger temporarily easing. "Oh man, did he ever deserve that. I wish I'd been there to see it."

Elsa smiled a little. "Yes, well, I wish I'd never said it. I wish I had just told him yes." Her smile fell, gloom settling back in as her thoughts turned to the results of her stupid, stupid answer.

Noah frowned. "Why?"

"Because I'm sure it wouldn't have been as bad as what came next," she said softly.

Noah's anger rushed back in, flooding him and making his ears ring. He blinked, understanding something. "So that's why he attacked you? Because you told him no?" He couldn't keep the emotion out of his voice.

Elsa nodded. "Because I embarrassed him." She paused, working up the nerve to continue. "It wasn't as bad as some of the beatings I'd had from my father, to begin with anyway. But Jace could aim better because he wasn't drunk. I think every hit was intentional. I…" Elsa swallowed past a lump in her throat. "I don't remember much of it. I remember the first punch he threw. It hit my cheekbone, slammed my head back against the brick behind me." She reached up to touch her cheek, imagining that she could still feel the pain of it.

She took a shaky breath before continuing. "I think that might have been what made me black out. I was barely coherent, so I knew what was going on for the most part. But it didn't hurt as much as it should have, at least not until later." She leaned into Noah, resting her head against his neck. "When you came in, I had been thinking that Jace was about to kill me. He had that look in his eyes."

Noah's insides turned to ice. He was barely containing his rage, his stomach turning as he listened to her describe everything. He desperately wished that he hadn't talked to Anna and Kristoff for so long after school that day.

"Do you remember seeing me limp when I left you?" Elsa asked quietly.

Noah's voice was tight with anger when he responded. "Yeah, and you were still limping on Monday."

She nodded. "I think I had a small fracture, but I never went to the doctor to check. Just walked on it as best as I could. It's the reason that day was so bad. The walk home was…painful. But getting up the stairs to my room…" She shuddered, holding back the bile that had risen in her throat at the memory. "That was torture. And then I had to stand on my leg that weekend, when my parents told me to. They didn't like that I was laying around all weekend. Thought a good beating would fix it."

She was silent for a while. "I was sick with fever and chills all weekend. Threw up twice. I was hurting, and terrified, and miserable. I don't think I've ever been as lonely and depressed as I was then."

Noah pulled her closer to his side, his hand resting on her leg, thumb gently stroking her thigh. "Why didn't you let me help you, Els?"

"I was scared. I was afraid they would kill me if someone even suspected what went on at home," she whispered.

They were quiet for a long time, Noah continuing to hold her close, tenderly caressing her skin. He had suspected that he'd come in towards the end of her ordeal that day, but he'd had no idea how brutal Jace had been. He bit the inside of his cheek, holding back a growl. If he ever saw Jace again, it would be a wonder if the boy came out of it alive. When his anger had finally simmered down, he spoke. "So is this what you've been thinking about all day?"

Elsa shrugged. "That and other things. It's been one of those days for me, you know. Memories flooding back in, none of them pleasant. But that was what I was thinking about when you waved your hand in front of my face. It's why I flinched. I'm sorry I made you think it was because of you. I promise I'm not afraid of you."

Noah pressed a kiss to her temple. "I know. It's alright."

Much later that night, Noah carried a sleeping Elsa to bed, setting her down gently before stripping out of his clothes. He crawled in next to her, tugging her to his chest, smiling when she wrapped her arm around him instinctively. He couldn't believe all that she had been through. Once again, he remembered his promise to make the rest of her life perfect. He vowed to himself to never let anything like that happen to her again. He would make sure she was safe, well cared for. Loved. He would certainly make sure she was loved.


	21. Unintentional

**Alright, things are going to get considerably more heated from here on out! Won't get above a T rating, but still. There's a bit of a shift in their relationship in this chapter :) so yeah...enjoy! And I know I haven't been posting quite as regularly, but I have been writing, so don't worry. There is still a good bit more to come! I'm not sure how long I want to drag this out, but I just love writing about Elsa and Noah, so we'll just have to see :)**

* * *

Unintentional

"Noah, man, you're off in ten!"

Noah glanced at the clock on the rear wall of the bookstore, nodding. He continued stocking shelves, pulling books from the rolling cart beside him and stacking them neatly in their places. He had spent all of his free time this semester either working or at the gym, which almost counted as work itself. He was helping teach a taekwondo class at the gym on campus, and he was being paid for it, but he didn't really consider that work. He loved taekwondo; plus, it was a way to stay fit. He sighed as he finished stocking the books on the cart, pushing it to the back of the store and through the door to the storage room. He stowed the cart away, then walked to the small desk that was tucked away in a corner, logging out for the night. He grabbed his jacket from a hook on the wall and pulled off his apron, placing it where his jacket had been.

A voice behind him made him pause before leaving the employee area. "So, how much have you saved up so far?"

Noah turned around to see a small, dark-haired girl leaning up against a wall, a smirk on her face. Noah chuckled. "Not near as much as I'd like." He was glad that he and Dakota had managed to become friends. She was the only person he talked to at work. It had started out rather awkwardly; like almost every other female he had come in contact with for prolonged periods of time, Dakota had tried to make a move on him. But once she realized he was taken, she backed off. She asked about Elsa all the time, seeming genuinely happy for Noah. She had been pestering him for weeks now, ever since he had admitted that he was working to save up for a ring.

Dakota rolled her eyes. "How much do you need for a ring? You've been saving for months now. With this, and your job at the Rec, I thought you would have enough by now."

Noah shrugged. "I have enough for the ring. But I want to save up some more for…well, you know. Marriage. A wedding. All that." He rubbed the back of his neck, breathing deeply to keep his cheeks from flushing.

Dakota frowned at him, looking as if she were ready to blow steam. "Boy, if you have enough for the ring, buy it! Ask her already!"

He held up his hands, warding her off. "Whoa, take a chill pill. I was going to look at rings tomorrow."

"Oh." She was quiet for a second, an embarrassed look on her face. "Do you want some help?"

Noah bit his lip. "Ah.." He still felt uncomfortable around Dakota sometimes. He occasionally felt as if she were trying to get him to dump Elsa, or trying to make things happen that might look bad. But maybe he was just being paranoid. _She could just have no common sense. _"Dakota, I don't think that would look quite right. Even if you would be helping me look for a ring for Elsa. I just…I don't want to be alone with another girl. Does that…make sense?" He didn't want to offend her, but he was more worried about upsetting Elsa.

She sent him a small smile. "It does make sense. I should have thought of that." She glanced at him, a slight flush to her cheeks as she continued. "Elsa is a lucky girl, Noah."

Noah shook his head. "I think I'm the lucky one." He checked his watch, sighing. "Well, I better head home. Catch you later!" He walked quickly to the front of the store, leaving Dakota standing in the storage room. _Whew…I wish I had gotten out of there a little sooner. Gah, sometimes that girl can make me uncomfortable. _He stuck his headphones in his ears as he walked out to his bike, throwing a leg over and pedaling off down the street. He biked his way home, lost in thought. His gaze was drawn to the jewelry store that he passed on the way, nerves making his stomach do flips. He knew when he wanted to propose, and it would be a while yet, but just getting the ring would be nerve-wracking.

A few minutes later, Noah pulled up at the apartment complex. He rode his bike up to the gate of the parking deck, dialing in the code to enter. He locked his bike up near the elevators, then got in and rode up to the fifth floor. He sighed as he pulled out his headphones and stuck them in his pocket. It had been a long day. His thoughts went immediately to a nice hot shower as he pulled his keys out, unlocking the door. Walking into his room, he threw his bag and jacket down on the bed and crossed to the dresser, pulling out some pajamas and clean underwear. He crossed the hallway, striding to the bathroom and pushing the door open. A yelp made him bring his head up sharply.

"Noah!" Elsa scrambled for a towel, covering up her front as best as she could. Her face burned with heat, her cheeks a brilliant shade of red.

Noah's eyes widened, a deep flush to his cheeks. "Oh God, I'm so sorry! I didn't know you were in there! Why didn't you lock the door?!" He was still standing there with the door open, shock practically gluing his feet to the floor.

"I thought it _was_ locked," she said indignantly. "Out!"

Noah jumped slightly, pulling the door shut as quickly as possible and mumbling a string of apologies again. He all but ran back into his bedroom, flopping down on the covers with a groan. The image of Elsa standing there, completely naked, skin still damp from her shower, was burned into his eyes. _God, I don't know how I'm ever going to get that out of my head._ He struggled to control himself, but his body was doing so many things at once that he had no idea how to stop it. His heart raced in his chest, blood pounding in his veins. He flushed deeper as his body reacted even more to the image in his head. _Oh, this is bad. Very, very bad._

In the bathroom, Elsa was still standing there with the towel clutched tightly to her chest, staring in shock at the door. Several minutes later, she finally came out of her trance, drying off and quickly pulling on her pajamas. She glanced in the mirror, noticing that every bit of skin that she could see was flushed. Her neck and face felt like the sun, they were giving off so much heat. She spent as much time as she could in the bathroom, dreading having to walk out and see Noah. _Ugh, this is going to make things so incredibly awkward._

Finally, she felt like she could dawdle no longer. She opened the bathroom door a crack, seeing Noah laying on the bed through his open door. His head popped up when he heard the bathroom door open. Elsa blushed, glancing at the floor as she walked to her bedroom, tossing her clothes in her hamper before sitting down on the bed. She was rarely ever in here, except to get dressed, but she felt like it was the only safe place to be at the moment. She lay back on the bed, releasing a breath that she had been holding in for a while. She heard the bathroom door close and the shower turn on, and she let out another relieved sigh. A while later, she jumped as a soft pair of lips brushed against her forehead. She opened her eyes, staring up at Noah to see a shy smile on his face.

Noah pulled Elsa to her feet, wrapping her in a hug. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, breathing in the smell of honeysuckle that clung to her still-damp hair. "I'm really sorry I walked in on you. I promise I didn't know you were in there."

Elsa sighed into his chest, some of the tension easing out of her shoulders. "It's alright. It's not your fault. I should have locked the door."

"If you thought it was locked, it wasn't your fault either." Noah pulled back from her a little, pushing a few strands of hair out of her face. He sent her a mischievous grin. "Should I let you walk in on me? Then we'd be even."

She flushed, casting her gaze downward. "Umm, n-no, it's…it's fine." She cleared her throat, her next sentence coming out as little more than a whisper. "I don't think that would be a very good idea."

Noah tilted her head back up, looking her in the eyes. "And why is that?" he asked softly.

Elsa looked into his intense green eyes, her heart thumping loudly in her chest. She reached up to grab a fistful of his t-shirt in her hand, pulling him down towards her and pressing her lips firmly to his own. She hadn't really intended to do that, but instinct had her moving before she could think about what she was doing. Her pulse raced in her veins as Noah reacted to her kiss, deepening it. He lightly nipped at her bottom lip before sliding his tongue out and brushing it across the tender skin. Elsa's heart skipped a beat, pounding furiously in her chest as she tentatively opened her mouth, touching his tongue with her own. Her heart seemed to have difficulty beating out a regular rhythm, opting instead for an uneven cadence that gave away her nervous thoughts. They had never kissed like this; everything before now had been sweet and tender. But this was quickly escalating to something desperate, hungry.

Noah was struggling to think straight, reason quickly evaporating and being replaced with desire. He slipped a hand under Elsa's shirt, caressing her bare skin, pulling her closer to him as he deepened the kiss even further. She tasted sweet on his tongue, like honey. His heart thundered in his chest as he trailed his fingers up her side, fighting back a wave of desire as he felt her skin break out in goosebumps. He placed his hand against her ribs, lightly brushing the side of her breast with his thumb. She shivered, and he pulled her even closer, pressing his body into hers. He left her mouth momentarily, sucking in a breath through his nose before trailing wet kisses down her neck. He made his way slowly back up, pausing to place a kiss behind her ear. Just before he turned his attention back to her lips, Elsa placed a shaking hand against his chest.

She was gasping in air, having forgotten to breathe when he pulled away. She rested her forehead against his, breathing deeply through her nose. "Noah," she whispered. She had intended for that to come out as a warning, but instead, it came out laced with desire. She swallowed and sucked in another breath, trying to get oxygen to her brain so that it would work properly. She couldn't seem to form a coherent sentence. All of her pent up thoughts and emotions and feelings about Noah were suddenly flooding her mind, making it almost impossible to think. She had been holding this back for _so long_, and now it was all coming out in one big rush.

Noah nodded against her, breathing deeply himself. "I know…we need to stop." He reluctantly pulled his hand out from under her shirt, wrapping his arms around her and hugging her tightly. He pressed his cheek against the top of her head, breathing slowly and evenly to attempt to calm his racing heart. He wouldn't lie to himself…he'd been wanting to do this for a long time now. But he still wanted to do things right, because she deserved it. And if he had held back for that long, he could hold on just a little bit longer, right?

Elsa could hear his heart thumping in his chest, her heart rate matching his beat for beat. When her brain finally decided to begin functioning again, her cheeks flushed with slight embarrassment. She had started that. She couldn't believe the desire that was coursing through her veins, the heat that was rushing to indecent places practically making her pant with want. She took a deep breath, shaking. _Calm down, Elsa. Calm down. _She drew in another deep breath, finally able to form sentences in her mind.

She cleared her throat to make sure her voice would work. "I know we almost just…got carried away," she said, still having to gulp in air. "But you _really_ need to kiss me like that more often."

Noah chuckled. "With pleasure."

They lay in bed later that night, both breathing rapidly, their newfound passion still heating their blood. Noah tucked Elsa against his side, trying to ignore the feel of her breasts through her shirt. He had no idea how they were going to make it another three years without slipping up. He didn't even know how they would make it another week. His thoughts turned to what his father had said last August. _No matter what happens, you're the one for me, Elsa. I couldn't imagine being like this with anyone else._ He let out a quiet sigh. _I suppose I should go buy some 'protection'…just in case._

* * *

**Ahhh the tension. And the heart-thumpies. It's just...AHH. I love it. Boy, it took a while to get there, huh?**


	22. Talking it Out

**Here's a fun little oneshot between Elsa and Anna. I really wanted to do some more between the two of them. I love them both in this fic, and wanted to show more of their relationship. Plus, it's fun to see Elsa getting teased ;)**

* * *

Talking it Out

Anna and Elsa sat cross-legged on the bed, each with a deck of cards in their hands. They were playing a game called "Pounce", but it was rather slow-paced since there were only two of them playing. Elsa flipped through her deck for about the fifth time, still not able to find a move. Her eyes occasionally flicked upwards to watch Anna flip through her deck. The two girls were spending an evening together, something that they rarely got to do. Most of the time, everyone was swamped with schoolwork, especially Elsa. But, since the end of the semester was almost upon them, Elsa didn't have much work anymore. Exams were a week away, and she had decided that she was tired of looking at her study guides for the time being. So she called Anna, and here they were. The boys were bowling with a group of guys from the gym.

Elsa sighed as she turned her deck over again to flip through one more time. She was halfway through it when Anna suddenly moved like lightning, and shouted out a quick "Pounce!" Elsa groaned, counting the cards in her pounce deck.

"Gah, that round was rough. I didn't move a single thing for the last five minutes, I think." She helped Anna separate their cards and then tallied up her points. When she wrote down Anna's score, she let out a small chuckle. "Okay, there is no way I'm catching up to you. I think you win."

Anna grinned broadly. "I guess I have a natural talent for this game."

"I think you're good at it because you're hyperactive. You move much quicker than I do," Elsa said, shaking her head with a smile on her face.

Anna waved away Elsa's statement. "Ah, whatever." She stuffed her cards back in their box, doing the same with Elsa's. Then she sprawled back on the covers, looking up at the ceiling. They were silent for a while, Anna glancing around the room with a slight frown on her face. "Elsa, I think this is the first time I've ever been in your room. It's way too clean."

Elsa frowned. "What's wrong with clean?"

"Nothing, I just didn't know you were this much of a neat-freak."

"Well, I'm not really. I'm just not in here very often," she said with a shrug. A second later, she realized what she had just said, and a flush rose quickly to her cheeks. _Oh please, please don't take that the way it sounded. Please just think that I don't like being in my room or something. Think that I want to spend all my time in the living room! Please don't ask…_

Anna didn't miss Elsa's flush though, and a wicked grin broke out on her face. She propped herself up on one elbow to stare at Elsa, humor glinting in her eyes. "Oh _really…_and where might you be instead?"

Elsa sighed. _Great._ "Would you believe me if I said the living room?"

The redhead burst into laughter. "No, I wouldn't. Certainly not with that look on your face. Or that flush. So tell me…where _have_ you been spending your time? And I don't mean during the day either," she said raising one eyebrow at Elsa.

"I suppose there's no chance that you'll give up if I don't tell you?"

"Elsa, dear, I already know where you've been, I just like seeing you squirm. And I want to hear you say it," Anna said, smirking.

Elsa groaned, running a hand through her hair. She flopped back on the mattress, grabbing a pillow and clutching it in her arms. She tucked it up under her chin, biting her lip before finally deciding to speak. "Alright, fine. I've been sleeping with Noah." She heard Anna snort with laughter and she blushed brighter as she realized how that sounded. Her heart thumped rapidly in her chest for a few seconds. "Oh, come on, I— not like that!"

Anna scooted up to lay beside Elsa, still propping herself up. She grinned mischievously at Elsa, not really believing that nothing had been going on between them. "Uh-huh, sure. And how long have you been 'sleeping with Noah'?" she asked, making air quotes. She narrowed her eyes as Elsa's flushed deepened. The poor girl was the color of a tomato. Elsa brought the pillow up a little higher, covering her mouth, and then mumbled something into it. Her gaze flicked towards Anna for a second before returning to the ceiling, her face still a brilliant shade of red.

"What was that, Elsa? Didn't hear you."

Elsa pulled the pillow away from her mouth, clearing her throat. "Since the night he rescued me," she whispered.

Anna blinked a few times, confused. "Wait…are you serious?"

Elsa nodded. "But like I said, nothing's happened, I promise!" She sat up, crossing her legs once again and placing the pillow in her lap. She fiddled with the edge of the pillowcase, pulling at a loose thread in the seam. "When he took me to his house that night, I was a complete wreck. I'd spent most of my life trying to control my emotions. I'd gotten pretty good, I think." She glanced at Anna for a moment, her gaze sad. She looked back at her lap before she started speaking again. "You know, when you're abused, it…well, you have to keep emotions out of your life. It won't do any good. Plus, my mother, she…well, she hated it when I cried. She always hit harder if she saw tears. I guess it encouraged her."

Elsa sighed. "Anyway, when Noah sang outside my window, that wall that I'd built to keep my emotions under control was shattered. I didn't think it was possible for him to get to me so quickly, but I was crying before the song was even halfway over. And I was bawling by the end of it. He just…pushed right through all my barriers. Everything crumbled. And then I couldn't keep anything in. Once he broke through, it was like the flood gates opened. I couldn't stop myself from crying."

She bit her lip, trying to keep her tears under control. There wasn't even a hint of a smile on Anna's face anymore. "After the cops came, and we had all walked back into Noah's house, his parents waited up with us for a little bit. When they finally decided to go to bed, his mom…well, she told him that I needed him. And so when he took me upstairs, he pulled me into his room and…well, that's where I stayed the night. Curled against his side." She looked up, sending Anna a soft smile. "I've been sleeping beside him ever since. I was surprised that his parents let us sleep together, once I started getting better. But they didn't seem to mind. He did get a good talking to from his father at one point though, telling him to act responsibly," she said, chuckling.

Anna let a grin creep back onto her face. "I can't believe no one told me. No wonder you're always in such a good mood in the mornings!"

Elsa tried to keep from laughing, heat slowly blooming across her cheeks once again. "Like I said, nothing's happened." She picked at the string on the pillowcase. "I tried sleeping in here, the first night we got here. When we moved in. I thought that I might as well give it a try. And…well, I was kinda tired of sleeping in a bra." She grinned sheepishly when Anna chuckled. She blushed deeper, looking down again as she continued. "Well…I tried to go to sleep, but it just wasn't working. It was a good hour or so before I gave up. I made my way to Noah's room…and completely forgot that I wasn't wearing a bra."

Anna cackled. "Oh man, I see where this is going. If it gets touchy-feely, I don't want to hear it."

Elsa shoved her, groaning. "Gah, stop it. _Anyway_," she said with emphasis. "I had also forgotten that Noah used to sleep in just his boxers." She plunged on, ignoring Anna's giggles. "So…when I crawled under the covers, there was a bit of an awkward moment."

Anna stifled her laughter long enough to force out a question. "How did that work out?"

Elsa smiled. "Well, he actually ended up…" She looked down at her lap shyly. "He kinda told me…well, something that settled my nerves. He said…" She ran a nervous hand through her hair. "This is hard…okay, his dad had had a talk with him that night, before they left. And he told Noah some things…he said that if Noah wanted to…fool around…with someone, to make sure he wanted to marry her first. And to, um, use protection."

"Wait, Mr. Jim…did he…was that, like, permission?" Anna asked, her mouth hanging open slightly.

Elsa shook her head. "Not really. It was more like….well, if something does happen, they're not going to be upset. He just wants Noah to be, uh, responsible about it," she said, clearing her throat. "Anyway, Noah told me about that, and then…well, he said it would be difficult for him," she said quietly, blushing furiously. "He said he would try to control himself, but…well, apparently four years alone with me will be…tempting. It took me a minute to realize that he was essentially telling me that he wanted to marry me."

Anna was sitting up now, her elbows resting on her knees and her chin in her hands. She was grinning broadly. "I already knew that, silly."

Elsa's head snapped up. "You did?"

The redhead rolled her eyes. "Well yeah. It's pretty obvious. I mean, he hasn't told me that, but I can see it in his eyes." She watched Elsa stare at the pillow some more, chuckling to herself. "So you slept with Noah…without a bra…and he was only in his boxers. And you seriously want me to believe that nothing happened?"

Elsa sighed. "Look, at that point, we hadn't even really kissed…I mean, okay, we'd kissed. But it was nothing passionate. It was all sweet and tender and…well, easy to control."

"Hold on, you said 'at that point,'" Anna said with a grin.

"Yeah, well, see…a few weeks ago, we…" She paused, running her hand through her hair once again. This was so awkward…but part of her was enjoying telling Anna all of this. It felt good to get her feelings out there. And maybe it would help her sort through them, help her figure out if she was ready for…the next step. "Well, Noah had just gotten home from work. And I had just gotten out of the shower. He must have come in right as I turned the water off. And…" Elsa bit her lip. "I swear, I really thought the bathroom door was locked." Anna gasped, then let out a shriek of laughter. Elsa frowned. "Yeah, you laugh, but it was…" She trailed off, mind wandering for a second. She thought about that night, the emotions flooding back to her all at once. She blinked, finally realizing something.

Anna raised an eyebrow. "It was…?"

Elsa jerked out of her trance, glancing at Anna to see her staring. "Sorry…well, I was going to say it was embarrassing, but…"

"But…?"

Elsa looked down at her lap again, blushing. "Well, I think a better word would be exhilarating," she whispered. "I didn't realize it until now, but I wasn't really embarrassed. I was a little, but…mostly, I was just nervous. Excited, even." She glanced up to see a smirk on Anna's face, and she smacked her with the pillow.

"So….what happened?"

"Well, not much. I came in here, avoiding him, while he got his shower. And then he came in to apologize. And then things got a little…heated." She rubbed her cheeks, wishing she weren't giving off so much heat. "We stopped before it got out of hand, but…well, it's hard to go back, once you've gotten to that point. Things frequently get heated now," she said softly.

Anna smirked at her. "Is he a good kisser?"

Elsa chuckled. She flicked her gaze towards Anna, wondering if she could ever live down what she was about to say. _Ah, whatever. I'm in this deep already, might as well take a dive._ She nodded before looking back down at the pillow in her lap, her flush deepening. "The mind-numbing, toe-curling kind of good."

Anna grinned like a cheshire cat. "And has he gotten touchy with you?"

Elsa cleared her throat. "A little." She sighed, leaning back on her elbows, trying and failing to keep a smile off her face. She chuckled, shaking her head. "I don't even know why I'm telling you all this."

Anna smiled. "Sometimes, it helps if you have someone to talk to. Get your feelings out there. They're easier to examine after you've talked about it."

Elsa tilted her head to the side, frowning. "How did you…"

"You've looked a little confused this whole conversation. And, honestly, scared."

Elsa collapsed back onto the mattress, letting out a breath of frustration. "I just…I don't know if I'm…ready. I mean, okay, in a perfect world, we would wait until we're married, but I'm afraid we…" She closed her eyes, cheeks burning, wishing this was easier to talk about. "God, Anna, he makes me forget to breathe. And my brain just shuts down, abandons all reason. It's a struggle to stop. And if it's this hard now, what if it gets worse? What if we can't stop one night? I'm just…I'm terrified," she finished quietly, opening her eyes and looking up at the ceiling. She breathed deeply, trying to keep from shaking.

"Hey," Anna said softly. "It's okay to be scared. Let me ask you this, though…why are you scared?"

Elsa thought for a minute. She honestly didn't know how to answer. "I'm not sure. I don't think it's the act itself," she said, blushing. "I mean, I'm nervous about that, but…I guess I'm scared because…well…" Elsa sighed, pausing again to gather her thoughts. "The thing is, I'd like to wait until we're married. It just…it feels right, waiting. But I'm scared because…if it comes down to it…I won't be able to tell him no," she whispered.

Anna understood. "You're scared because you want it."

Elsa nodded.

Anna put a hand on Elsa's shoulder. "It's okay to want it, you know. But if you're so worried about it, why don't you talk to him? Noah is a good guy. If you tell him you want to wait, he'll wait. No matter how hard it is."

Elsa blinked. "Well, I hadn't thought of that," she said, blushing. Of course her brain would refuse to work properly when she was thinking about Noah. Talking to him seemed like the obvious thing to do, now that Anna had mentioned it.

Anna smiled at her. "I think it's a discussion you need to have anyway. That's an important step in your relationship. But look…you love him, right?"

"With all my heart," Elsa whispered.

"Then if something does happen, it's okay. Don't beat yourself up about it. It's great to wait until you're married, but it doesn't make you a bad person if you don't. And trust me, I _know_ you guys are going to get married. So it will happen eventually anyway," Anna said, grinning a little at Elsa's blush.

"I guess you're right." Elsa let out a sigh. "I _hope_ you're right. I'll talk to him about it soon." Elsa sat up, pulling her knees up to her chest and resting her chin on them. "Thank you, Anna."

Anna chuckled, shaking her head. "No, thank _you_." She grinned mischievously. "You just gave me lots of good blackmail material."

Elsa smacked her with the pillow, blushing.


	23. By the Fire

**I'm so sorry that I haven't been very good at regular posting lately! I've been getting distracted. I've still got several oneshots written, so there is certainly more coming. This one is another musical one, with some tension thrown in ;) the song that's in here is 'Two Is Better Than One' by Boys Like Girls. Love it! So, hope you enjoy! :)**

* * *

By the Fire

Crickets chirped lightly and a gentle breeze blew as Noah and Elsa sat around a campfire in his parents' backyard, Anna and Kristoff across from them. The night sky was completely clear, thousands of stars twinkling up above. An empty chair beside Noah held a pack of graham crackers, a couple bars of chocolate, and a bag of marshmallows. Each of them held a stick out towards the fire, roasting their first marshmallows for their s'mores.

Kristoff glanced across the fire at Elsa, amusement on his face. "I still can't believe you've never had a s'more before."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "I didn't have much of a childhood, Kris."

He flushed, embarrassed, deciding that the best thing to do would be to keep silent. He flicked his gaze towards Anna's marshmallow, eyes going wide when he saw it. "Anna! Yours is on fire!"

"I know. I like mine burnt."

Noah grimaced. "That's disgusting, Anna." He looked at Elsa, making sure she was holding her marshmallow far enough from the flames like he had taught her. "Els, you might want to rotate yours, I think it's getting a little brown on that side." He rotated his as he told her that, mouth watering at the golden brown color that was starting to appear on his marshmallow. "See, you're trying to melt it from the inside out. Slow heat is the best way."

Anna was already putting her marshmallow on her s'more. It crunched as she squished it down. She grinned broadly at Noah's and Kristoff's groans, putting her s'more to her face and taking a big bite. "Mmmm. Delicious," she mumbled through a mouthful of chocolate and burnt marshmallow.

A few minutes later, Noah's started to droop, the sign that it was ready. He quickly grabbed his graham cracker and chocolate, pulling the marshmallow away from the fire as gently as he could so that it wouldn't fall off. He barely made it. Licking his lips, he smushed the marshmallow onto the chocolate, topping it with his other graham cracker piece. He checked Elsa's marshmallow, grabbing some graham cracker and chocolate for her.

"Yours is done, Els. See how it's sagging on the stick?" He held out the graham cracker and chocolate for her, keeping a close eye on her marshmallow as she moved it towards him. She paused when it looked like it was about to fall off, but Noah slipped the graham cracker under it and managed to catch it. He handed it to her, letting her put the top on. He went back to his own, taking a large bite, his eyes closing in pleasure. "Mmmm. Wow. Perfect."

Elsa nodded, having taken a bite of her own. She licked some marshmallow off her lips. "This is amazing."

They continued roasting marshmallows, eating their fill of s'mores. Anna forced Elsa to try a burnt marshmallow, since she had never tasted one before ("She might like it better than the non-burnt ones!"). The boys roared with laughter when Elsa spit it out into the fire. She ran inside to grab a glass of water, coming back out to see Noah and Kristoff still laughing, and Anna with her arms folded across her chest.

"You can't possibly think it tastes _that_ bad," she said grumpily.

Elsa nodded her head. "No offense, Anna, but that was nasty. I don't see how you eat that." She held up a hand to halt Anna's sounds of protest. "But, to each their own. You have all the burnt marshmallows you want. I want mine slow-roasted." Anna huffed in response.

Eventually, they all sat back, staring at the fire, relaxing after stuffing themselves full of chocolate and marshmallows. Noah pulled out his guitar, at Anna's request, and played a few songs for them. Sometimes they sang along with him, laughing and carrying on. Other times they stared at the flames while Noah's voice carried them away. Anna asked Noah to play Elsa's song at one point. He glanced at Elsa, making sure it was alright with her, and she nodded. He kept his eyes focused on her as he sang. Elsa was proud of herself; she'd managed not to shed a tear that time.

Anna hadn't been as lucky. She wiped tears from her cheeks as Noah finished. "That was the first time I've heard that. It was beautiful, Noah." She looked at Elsa, smiling. "How do you hold it together, hearing that?"

"It's difficult. Usually it depends on my mood though. I'm happy enough right now that I could hold in the tears. But you can ask Noah, most of the time I sob when he plays that song." She flicked her gaze towards Noah, smiling at him. He reached out to take her hand, rubbing his thumb across the back of it.

Anna glanced between the two of them, smiling. "You two are adorable together." She laughed when they both blushed, letting go of each other and looking at the ground. Suddenly, an idea popped into her head, and she smiled brighter. "Hey, would you guys sing? Together?"

Noah looked at Elsa. "Uh…"

Elsa smiled at him. "What should we sing, Anna?"

"You're serious? You'll do it?"

"Yeah," Elsa answered, holding back the nerves that bubbled to the surface of her mind. These were her friends, after all. No need to be embarrassed.

Anna thought for a minute, not having been prepared with a song since she expected them to refuse. Finally, she thought of one that would be sweet to hear. "Can you do 'Two is Better Than One'?"

Elsa swallowed nervously. She hadn't thought that it would be a romantic song that Anna would request. She glanced at Noah, seeing him nod his head. She knew the words, of course. She had listened to it probably hundreds of times on Noah's phone. _This will be fun._

Noah cleared his throat. "Sure, Anna." He picked up his guitar again, throwing the strap over his head. He found the right chords, thinking for a minute before looking up at Elsa, making sure she was ready. When she nodded at him, he began to play, fingers plucking away at the strings. His voice joined the sound of the guitar a few moments after he started playing, coming out smooth and soft.

_I remember what you wore on our first day  
__You came into my life and I thought, hey  
__You know, this could be something  
_'_Cause everything you do and words you say  
__You know that it all takes my breath away  
__And now I'm left with nothing_

He stared at Elsa as he sang, thinking of how much this song felt like them. It felt so right. He wondered, in the back of his mind, why Anna had picked this song. He was sure she would point out how worked up they were, because he knew they would be. Listening to the song made his heart thump in his chest, but singing it? _With_ Elsa? That would surely send him over the edge. When Elsa's voice joined his for the chorus, he had to hold back a shiver.

_So maybe it's true, that I can't live without you  
__And maybe two is better than one  
__But there's so much time to figure out the rest of my life  
__And you've already got me coming undone  
__And I'm thinking two is better than one_

Elsa never let her eyes leave Noah's, staring intently at him the entire time. She loved this song, and she loved the man she was singing it with. She believed with all her heart that two was indeed better than one. She'd spent so much of her life alone that she knew what "one" felt like, and it wasn't pleasant. Two was much better. Not for the first time, she smiled as she sang this song. Noah certainly had her coming undone, and it had started from the first day she had met him. He started chipping away at her barriers even then. Her heart thumped in her chest when she began the next verse, taking the first line while Noah sang the next two.

_I remember every look upon your face  
__The way you roll your eyes, the way you taste  
__You make it hard for breathing_

Noah's eyes glinted mischievously as he sang his part, remembering the previous night with Elsa. If he closed his eyes, he could still taste her on his tongue. And she certainly made it hard for breathing. He winked at her as he sang, almost laughing when she flushed brilliantly. But when she came in with the next part of the verse, her voice was clear, unwavering. Noah harmonized with her, singing softly in the background so she could be heard.

'_Cause when I close my eyes and drift away  
__I think of you and everything's okay  
__I'm finally now believing_

Noah's voice rose in volume, matching hers, as they sang the chorus together. Elsa's entire face was flushed by this point. She couldn't keep her mind off of Noah's kisses last night. Things had gotten a little…heated. She stared steadily at him, knowing that he was thinking about the same things she was. Yes, two was definitely better than one.

_That maybe it's true that I can't live without you  
__And maybe two is better than one  
__But there's so much time to figure out the rest of my life  
__And you've already got me coming undone  
__And I'm thinking two is better than one_

Noah closed his eyes after they finished the chorus, getting into the music. He was glad that playing and singing came so instinctually for him. He loved being able to play his guitar and sing with Elsa. They had done this several times since that first song, two Christmases past. But nothing had been quite like this. He glanced at Elsa again as he sang the next line, his eyes boring into hers.

_I remember what you wore on our first day  
__You came into my life and I thought, hey_

Elsa joined him once more, the perfect harmony they produced finally sending a shiver down Noah's spine. That was what he loved so much. Hearing their voices mesh together so beautifully. It was enough to nearly take his breath away.

_Maybe it's true that I can't live without you  
__And maybe two is better than one  
__But there's so much time to figure out the rest of my life  
__And you've already got me coming undone  
__And I'm thinking_

_Ooh, I can't live without you  
_'_Cause baby, two is better than one  
__There's so much time to figure out the rest of my life  
__But I've figured out, when all is said and done  
__Two is better than one_

_Two is better than one_

Their voices trailed away, Noah's fingers going still against the strings of his guitar. His heart was pounding in his chest, and if the look in Elsa's eyes told him anything, she was thinking the same thing he was. He needed to kiss her. Now. Unfortunately, Anna and Kristoff were still there, and it would not be appropriate to do what he had in mind in front of them. Noah cleared his throat, breaking his gaze away from Elsa's beautiful face to look at the flames of the fire instead, trying to calm down a little.

Anna sat there with her mouth hanging open slightly. After a few moments of silence, she shook her head. "Guys, that was…beautiful. And…" She paused, looking between the two once more, taking in their flushed faces. "Well, intense. I really don't want to know what the two of you have been up to," she said with a chuckle. _Even though I kinda already know. _Noah tossed a marshmallow at her and Elsa sent her a scowl; she was getting dangerously close to blackmail territory.

They were all silent for a while. Eventually, Anna stood up, pulling Kristoff up with her. "Come on, Kris. It's late, and you still have to walk me home." She leaned over to whisper in his ear, but still loud enough for Noah and Elsa to hear, "Plus, I think Noah and Elsa want to be alone." Kristoff chuckled when he saw them both blush.

"Alright. Let me help Noah put out this fire." He went to fill a bucket with water from the hose by the porch while everyone else picked up the camp chairs and trash. When the fire was finally cold, he grabbed Anna's hand and walked up the porch steps, a very quiet Noah and Elsa behind them. They said goodbye to Noah's parents, walking through the house to the front door. Just before they began walking down the front steps, Anna tugged her hand out of his and motioned to Noah, one of her famous, threatening glares on her face. Kristoff sent Noah a sympathetic glance.

Anna pulled Noah down the steps and over to a tree in the front yard, out of Kristoff's and Elsa's earshot. She put her hands on her hips, making Noah shift uncomfortably under her fierce gaze. "You listen here, mister. I can practically see the sexual tension between you two." She held up a hand when he opened his mouth to respond. "I know it's not really my business, but you make sure you talk to her before you do anything. Make sure it's what she wants." Anna certainly wasn't about to tell Noah that she had talked to Elsa about this, but she still wanted to look out for her friend.

Noah spluttered in his haste to respond. "Anna, I-I would never do something like…_that_…without asking her first, without knowing if she wanted it."

Anna's gaze softened slightly. "Good." She smiled suddenly, making Noah blink at the transformation. "When are you proposing? And do you have the ring?"

Noah blushed. "Yeah, I do. It'll be on her finger in about a month. If she says yes, that is," he said nervously, paling slightly.

"Don't be ridiculous, Noah, of course she will." Anna gave him a tight hug, smiling as she pulled away. "I'm happy for you two. Really."

Noah smiled shyly. "Thanks, Anna."

She gave him a gentle nudge, waving him away. "Go on, go kiss your girl." She motioned to Kristoff, who came down off the porch and joined her, taking her hand as they walked down the sidewalk, heading for home.

Noah tugged Elsa into the house as soon as they were gone. His mother was still sitting in the living room, glasses perched on the tip of her nose as she read her book. Noah called out a soft goodnight to her as he tugged Elsa towards the stairs. They made their way up quietly, Noah easing the door shut behind himself once they got to his bedroom. Elsa sat down on the end of the mattress, looking slightly nervous.

"What did Anna want to talk to you about?"

Noah cleared his throat. "She…uh…wanted me to talk to you."

Elsa frowned. "About what?"

Noah ruffled his hair with a nervous hand, sitting down on the end of the bed beside her. "Well…" He let out a slow breath, then turned to smile softly at her, taking her hands in his own. He looked down at their hands, stroking her skin with his thumb. "Els, I know we've been getting…umm, passionate. And as far as I can tell, you've been enjoying it," he said softly, eyes shining with mischief, smiling slightly. "But…well, I don't want to go further unless you want to. I'd never want to make you uncomfortable."

Elsa let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. _Anna, I will have to thank you one day._ She looked down at their joined hands. "Actually, I've been meaning to talk to you about that. I think…I think I'd like to wait." She cleared her throat. "Until marriage. I mean, if that's what you wanted. I mean, not waiting, but marriage. If you wanted to get married," she finished quietly, clamping her mouth shut so that she would stop rambling.

Noah chuckled. "I've already told you that I do." He reached up to stroke her cheek. "If you want to wait, we'll wait. I promise."

Elsa closed her eyes, leaning into his hand. "Thank you."


	24. Forever Yours - Part 1

**Hello again, my lovelies! This one is actually going to be a three-part story. There was just so much that I wanted to throw into this, and it would have been extremely long if I'd made it all one story. Plus, I slightly enjoy torturing you all ;) ha! Anyway, hope you enjoy part 1!**

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Forever Yours - Part 1

Noah rifled through his suitcase for at least the tenth time, checking to make sure he had everything. He still couldn't decide where to put the ring. He was _almost _positive that Elsa wouldn't look in his suitcase. She didn't really have a reason to. But still, he was a bit paranoid. He wanted everything to be perfect. He pulled the ring out of his pocket, flicking his gaze towards the door to make sure it was locked. He reached for the small silk bag his mother had given him, pulling the ring out of its box and slipping it inside. Finally making up his mind, he pulled back the lining of his suitcase, pinning the bag underneath. He replaced the lining, nodding in satisfaction. She wouldn't look there. He grabbed the box and rolled it up in one of his pairs of socks, making sure to put it at the bottom so that it would be the last pair he grabbed.

Once that task was accomplished, he zipped his suitcase and ran to unlock the door. If Elsa came up and tried to come in, she would think something was up if she found the door locked. He never locked his door; she was always welcome. He went to check his guitar case, making sure he had his strap. Just then, Elsa walked into the bedroom.

"Are you ready yet?" she asked, exasperated.

Noah cast his gaze over his suitcase one last time. "Yeah, yeah, I'm ready. Let's load up. Where's your bag?"

"Downstairs already. I've been waiting on you for thirty minutes at least." She bounced on the balls of her feet, filled with anticipation. Noah hadn't told her where they were going. His surprises were always good, so she couldn't wait, especially since they were staying for the weekend.

Noah frowned. "I haven't been packing that long."

Elsa rolled her eyes. "Oh yes, you have." She reached for his hand, tugging him towards the door. "Come on, I'm ready to go! If you won't tell me where we're going, then we need to get there quickly."

Noah pulled out of her grasp, chuckling. "Hold on, let me grab my stuff." He slung his guitar case across his back and grabbed his suitcase, taking Elsa's hand again with his free one. "Alright, now we can go." He laughed as Elsa practically ran with him down the stairs. They stopped by the door for a minute for Noah to take Elsa's suitcase, then they walked out to the car. Noah loaded everything into the trunk, then pulled Elsa back inside to say goodbye to his mother.

Sarah gave them both a hug before handing Noah a small envelope, which he tucked quickly in his pocket. "Have a wonderful time, dears. Let me know when you get there."

"We will," Noah said, smiling. He took Elsa's hand once again, walking her to the car and opening her door for her. He waved to his mother as they pulled out of the driveway. Once they were on the road, they turned on some music for background noise.

"Don't you need directions?" Elsa asked.

"Nope."

"But won't we get lost?"

Noah chuckled. "Elsa, you worry too much. I have everything planned out. Relax. And I know where I'm going because I've been there before."

"Oh." She paused for a minute, watching Noah turn onto the highway. "Have I been there?"

"Nope," Noah said again.

"Well, how far is it?"

"About two hours, so get comfortable. Now, don't ask any more questions about it. I want it to be a surprise," he chided.

Elsa poked out her bottom lip in a pout. "Alright, fine."

For the next hour and a half, they chatted away the time. Elsa spent a good thirty minutes talking about how excited she was for the next semester to begin. She would start her music theory classes, and she had been looking forward to that since she started college. The topic of music kept them going for another hour. Finally, when they were about fifteen minutes away from their destination, they fell silent. Elsa watched the scenery go by, still clueless as to where he was taking her. She held back a grin as Noah slowed, turning down what looked to be a driveway. She sat up in her seat.

Noah glanced sideways at her, chuckling. The driveway was a long curvy one, trees on either side of the road blocking their view. Finally, Noah turned a corner and a massive house came into view. It was a pale green color, with a huge wrap-around, covered porch. He could just see the sand and waves around the sides of the house. He pulled up slowly, parking in front of the porch steps. He got out and went to open Elsa's door, smiling.

Elsa grinned at him, throwing her arms around his neck as soon as she was out of the car. "The beach. Thank you," she mumbled into his chest.

"I thought you'd like it," he said softly. He pulled back, placing a soft kiss on her lips. "Come on, wait 'til you see the inside. It's beautiful." He pulled the envelope out of his pocket, slitting it open and grabbing the key that was inside.

"How did you…I mean, this looks expensive," Elsa said, glancing up at the second floor of the house.

"Actually, it was free." Noah laughed at her confused expression. "One of my dad's friends owns it, and he lets us borrow it sometimes. I've been coming here for vacations since I was a kid. And he won't let my dad pay him a penny for staying here." He unlocked the front door, pushing it open and motioning for Elsa to go first. She wandered the bottom floor of the house while Noah fetched their bags from the car. He walked to the master bedroom on the first floor, calling for Elsa to join him.

"This room look alright to you?" he said, a smirk behind his words.

"Eh, looks a little small," she answered with a shrug. "And that bed definitely isn't big enough." Her words practically dripped sarcasm.

Noah laughed. "Only because you steal all the space on the bed."

She crossed her arms defensively. "Hey, it's not my fault that you start out on one side of the bed instead of the center. And it's not my fault that I like holding on to you," she said, blushing.

Noah moved closer to her, placing his hands on her waist and pulling her close. He leaned in close to her ear, whispering, "I like it like that."

Elsa shivered. They hadn't even been here for five minutes, and already he was making her want to crawl into bed. She took a deep breath, pushing her desire to the back of her mind, ignoring the tingling of her skin where he had slipped his thumb under her shirt to stroke her side. _Nope, we're not doing this. Stop making me regret my decision to wait until we're married. _With a barely concealed groan, Elsa pulled back. She blinked up at him, fighting the urge to kiss him senseless.

Noah broke the tension. He smiled at her, taking her hand and pulling her toward the back porch. "Come on, let's go down to the beach."

* * *

Later that night, Noah and Elsa sat on the back porch, the remains of a Hawaiian pizza sitting on the table in front of them. Noah promised her that he had a better dinner planned for the following night, but tonight he just wanted to relax. They sat outside, listening to the waves crashing against the shore. The stretch of beach in front of the house was secluded, private. It was part of a group of homes that were owned by wealthier families, all of them wanting to keep the beach traffic to a minimum. No one was visible for as far as they could see in either direction.

"So…enjoying the sunset?" Noah asked, taking Elsa's hand.

"It's beautiful," she said breathlessly. They had been sitting outside for hours, watching the sun sink lower in the sky. It was hanging low against the horizon now, making the sky and water glow a brilliant orange-red color. The tips of the waves turned a golden yellow in the evening sunlight. She had thought the ocean looked beautiful during the day, but this was even better. It was mesmerizing.

Elsa got up from her chair, pulling Noah with her. She walked to the hammock that was hanging on the back porch. "Let's sit here. Looks more comfy," she said, grinning.

Noah carefully lowered himself onto the hammock, still facing the ocean. He pulled Elsa into his lap, tensing his muscles in case the hammock decided to dump them. When it didn't feel like they were about to fall, he relaxed, wrapping his arms around Elsa's waist and resting his chin on her shoulder. Elsa leaned back into him, sighing.

"Els?" Noah said softly.

"Hmm?"

"Did you know, exactly one year ago, and a few hours earlier, we were kissing in the rain?"

Elsa tilted her head to the side. "Really?"

"Yep," Noah said, placing a soft kiss against her neck. He smiled when her skin erupted in goosebumps. "And over two years ago, I sang at your window." He paused to place another kiss on the back of her neck, biting his lip when she shivered. "You've come so far in two years, Els. I'm proud of you."

"I wouldn't have, if it weren't for you," she said quietly. She leaned back, hoping that if he couldn't reach her neck he would stop kissing her, and at the same time, desperately wishing he would continue. She watched the sun sink lower, less than half of it left to go below the horizon now. "I don't know if I've ever properly thanked you for coming to my window that night. You changed my life."

Noah nuzzled his nose behind her ear. "You don't have to thank me."

"But I want to. So thank you."

Noah gave her a gentle squeeze, leaning back into the hammock, rocking them slowly back and forth. "You're welcome." They watched the sun sink below the horizon in silence, Noah holding her as close as he could. He let his thoughts wander, until they strayed toward what he had planned for the next day. His heart pounded in his chest for a few seconds, before he got it under control. _No, don't think about that. Keep it together._

"Els, hop up. I want to go get something really quick." He leaned forward so that she could get up, pushing himself out of the hammock when she stood. "Wait here," he said with a smile. He walked inside, going to the bedroom to grab his guitar. When he went back outside, Elsa smiled softly at him. He sat down on the top step of the porch, waving at her to join him.

For a while, Noah just played random chords. He played whatever came into his head. He wasn't as talented as Elsa, but he could have easily gotten a scholarship for music performance if he'd tried. He closed his eyes as he plucked at the strings, letting his heart decide what he played. Eventually, he sang a couple songs, picking a few at random, though they were always ones that made Elsa blush a little. He grinned at her when he stopped singing. He let his fingers rest for just a minute before going into the next song.

Elsa's breath caught at the first note. She had been waiting for him to play this song ever since he brought out the guitar. She had been thinking of it ever since he'd mentioned singing at her window. When his voice joined the guitar, she closed her eyes, letting his voice sweep her off her feet. She tried to hold back her tears this time, tried to keep them from spilling over. She was happy, after all. It should be easy. But his words pulled tears from her as easily as his kisses took her breath away. _Beautiful…you make me feel beautiful, Noah. I didn't think that way before. But you've turned my world upside down. I never thought that I could feel beautiful, but you've made me feel plenty of things that I didn't think I would ever be able to feel._

Noah reached up to brush away her tears when he finished. He put his guitar down beside him and scooted close to her, wrapping his arm around her and placing his hand by her hip. He pressed a kiss to her temple. "Have I ever told you that you're beautiful?" he asked playfully.

Elsa laughed through her tears. "Only about a million times."

"And that isn't even close to enough," he said softly. "Do you believe me now?"

Elsa turned to look at him, her eyes shining with love. "Yes, I do," she whispered.

Noah tried not to let her see how those words affected him. They reminded him of his plans for the next day. "Yes" and "I do" were two things that he desperately wanted to hear from her. Mentally shaking himself, he let her words sink in. He had finally gotten her to see what he had seen all along, ever since they were little. He grinned at her, wrapping both of his arms around her waist. He leaned forward, pressing his lips firmly to hers. He was tender this time, holding back his passion, lips moving softly against hers. When he pulled back, Elsa sucked in a quiet breath.

"How do you do that?" she asked breathlessly.

"Do what?"

"Take my breath away," she said, eyes focused intently on his own. "Every time," she whispered.

Noah chuckled. "Like this," he said, leaning in to kiss her again. His breath caught when she slid her tongue across his bottom lip. He followed her lead, meeting her tongue with his own. He tried to hold back, tried to keep the kiss from crashing across the line between chaste and passionate. But she tasted like heaven, and her lips felt _so good_ against his own. With a groan, he pulled her into his lap, slipping a hand beneath her shirt to rest it against the small of her back. He plunged his tongue into her mouth, heart thundering and pulse pounding in his ears. Time slipped away from him as he kissed her, tangling a hand in the hair at the nape of her neck. When the need to breathe overwhelmed all other senses, he pulled back, sucking in a ragged breath. The sudden burst of oxygen flooded his brain, reason slowly coming back and dulling his passion.

Elsa cleared her throat, her face flushed a brilliant red. "Every time," she whispered again.

Noah smiled, brushing his hand across her cheek. For the first time, he noticed how dark it was outside. It had rapidly gotten darker once the sun was below the horizon. Slipping his hands underneath Elsa's small form, he picked her up, carrying her towards the door. "Let's continue this inside," he said softly.


	25. Forever Yours - Part 2

**Yay! Here's the second part! Note: you usually don't have to be worried about me screwing things up, because I don't really like a lot of bad things happening. I'm all about the fluff :) so this is pretty fluffy. Totally love this one. It's one of my favorites, just because...well, you'll see! Cheers and enjoy!**

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Forever Yours - Part 2

A soft ocean breeze brushed across Noah's bare chest, causing him to stir, pulling the warmth that was beside him closer to his side. His sleep-fogged brain tried to make sense of his surroundings. What was he holding that was so warm? _Mmm. Whatever it is, it feels good._ Just then, the "thing" he was holding moved. Noah opened his eyes, blinking in the early morning sunlight. He took a deep breath, trying to clear his head. He had been sleeping hard. Looking to his right, he saw a mass of platinum blond hair. _Elsa._

Noah pulled her closer, breathing in her intoxicating scent. He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead when she stirred against him. "Good morning," he whispered.

Elsa yawned, snuggling into his side. "Good morning."

They lay there for a while, enjoying the breeze and ocean scents that were wafting in from the open window. Elsa kept her eyes closed, listening to the steady thump of Noah's heartbeat. She would never get over how amazing it was to wake up beside him every morning. Rolling over onto her back, she sighed, eyes still closed. She felt Noah shift beside her, but she ignored it, wanting to stay in bed for a little longer. She sucked in a sharp breath when she felt his lips press against her jaw, right below her ear. She shivered instantly, opening her eyes when Noah chuckled. It was one of his favorite spots, because it never failed to raise goosebumps.

Noah smiled, leaning over her. He nudged her cheek with his nose, turning her head so he could see more of her neck. He kissed his way slowly down to her collar bone, moving towards the hollow of her neck, sliding his tongue out to taste her skin. He hummed with pleasure when she twitched beneath him. That was another favorite spot of his. He pulled back slightly, watching her pulse throb rapidly in her neck. He placed another gentle kiss on her jaw before burying his nose in her hair.

Elsa's heart was racing in her chest. She drew an unsteady breath before she spoke. "You—" she whispered hoarsely. She paused, clearing her throat. "You could wake me up like that more often, you know." She shivered again, Noah's breath tickling her neck.

Noah smiled against her skin. "I might, since you seem to like it so much." He leaned back, looking into her eyes. The look she gave him washed away the nerves that had been building since he'd woken up. He knew what her answer would be. He placed a lingering kiss on her lips before rolling back and climbing out of bed. "Come on, I have plans for today."

After a quick breakfast of eggs and toast, which Noah wouldn't let Elsa help with at all, he pulled her outside towards the beach. They spent an hour or so just wandering the shore, picking up seashells, walking hand-in-hand through the wet sand. A little before lunchtime, he carried her out into the water. Elsa gasped when a wave splashed up her back.

"Noah, it's cold!" Her entire body broke out in goosebumps as she shivered.

"Only a little. You'll get used to it," he said, smiling as he walked them out farther. Soon the water came up to mid-chest on him, lapping gently up to his shoulders with the waves. Their clothes were completely soaked, but Noah didn't mind. The way Elsa's shirt clung to her form left little for his imagination in regards to her shape. He eyed her up and down, grinning mischievously at her, laughing when she blushed.

For her part, Elsa tried to keep her eyes from soaking in the sight of his wet shirt clinging to his muscled chest. And she almost succeeded. But then he backed up a little, letting the water go down to his waist, and his shirt stuck to his skin. She was sure he had worn a white shirt on purpose. It was almost see-through now. She could tell he was a little chilly too; his arms were covered in goosebumps and she could see his nipples through his shirt. She tore her gaze away from his chest, blushing.

She cleared her throat. "You just like seeing me blush, don't you?"

Noah laughed. "It's cute. But I really like it when you bite your lip, like you're doing now, when you try to keep your brain from thinking dirty thoughts," he murmured.

Elsa flushed a brilliant red. "You're ridiculous," she mumbled.

"You know you love me."

"Yes, I do."

They spent the rest of the day playing in the sand. Noah taught her how to make a sandcastle, since she'd never done it before. He made them a picnic lunch and brought it out to the beach, sitting them down on a blanket and staring up at the sun while they ate. Later in the afternoon, he pulled her inside, telling her to get a shower and get ready for dinner. He had reservations for a special place in town. He got a quick shower himself, dressing up in a pair of khakis and a polo. He stared at his reflection, trying to comb his hair into submission. He let out a frustrated sigh when it just stuck right back up, only now some parts of it were smoothed down, so he looked almost comical. Shaking his head, he ran a hand through his hair, ruffling it back up. At least all of it was sticking up now.

When he walked into the bedroom, his breath caught in his throat. Elsa was sitting on the end of the bed, her hair hanging down her back in a long braid. His brain was stubbornly refusing to focus on anything except what she was wearing, though. She was in a beautiful, pale blue sundress. A white, unbuttoned cardigan kept him from seeing the straps. The dress fell gently to her knees, accentuating her figure, but not clinging too tightly.

"Are you done drooling yet?" she asked playfully. Her eyes were glinting with mirth, but there was a hint of rosiness to her cheeks.

Noah cleared his throat, clamping his jaw shut. His brain was still struggling to function. "When did you get that?"

Elsa smiled at him. "A few weeks ago. Your mom helped me pick it out. Do you like it?" She seemed shy, like she actually thought he wouldn't.

Noah moved to stand in front of her, pulling her to her feet. He brushed his thumb across her cheek, smiling at her blush. "I love it. You look beautiful," he said softly. He pressed a tender kiss to her lips, then took her hand. "Ready to go?"

Elsa nodded, not trusting her voice.

The ride to the restaurant was mostly silent. Noah kept glancing at the clock on the dashboard. He hadn't been nervous this morning, but he was beginning to feel a little…tense…as the time ticked on. When he parked the car, he got out, walking slowly to Elsa's door so he could take a few deep breaths to calm himself. He rolled his shoulders, feeling his muscles relax. _That's better. Can't have her thinking something's up._ He held her hand as they walked into the restaurant, smiling when he saw the woman at the hostess' stand.

The woman smiled when she saw him coming, skin crinkling at the corners of her eyes. Her shimmering grey hair was pulled into a tight bun, and her warm brown eyes were filled with affection. "Noah! It's so good to see you. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Yes ma'am, a couple years since our last trip down here."

She glanced down at the list in front of her, marking his name off. When she finished, she looked back up, sending Elsa a smile. "And who is this young lady?"

Noah rubbed a hand across the back of his neck shyly. "This is my girlfriend, Elsa. Els, this is Ms. Linda. She's been working here for as long as I can remember. She's good friends with Mom and Dad."

Linda raised an eyebrow. "Girlfriend, hmm? So I assume this is the one you've had your eyes on since you were a boy?"

Noah blushed, giving Elsa's hand a light squeeze. "Yes ma'am."

Linda gave him a motherly smile before turning her gaze towards Elsa again. "Well, it's lovely to finally meet you, dear." She leaned forward conspiratorially. "Keep a tight hold on this one. He's as good as they come," she whispered with a wink.

Elsa glanced up at Noah, a small smile on her lips. "Yeah, he is," she said softly.

She gripped his hand tightly as they were led to their table. She was surprised to see that it was in a secluded part of the restaurant. Noah must have requested it, or maybe Linda did it for him. Either way, she was happy. She could send him looks without having other people stare at them.

Dinner went by slowly. They spent most of the time talking, occasionally staring out of the window at the ocean. It was another clear evening, and the sun lit up the sky with a beautiful golden glow. When they had finished with their meal, Noah led her to the car, saying goodbye to Linda on their way out. Before Elsa got in the car, she gave him a quick hug. "Thank you for dinner. Today has been wonderful."

Noah smiled slyly at her. "It's not over yet."

Elsa frowned as she got in the car. She pestered him the whole way back to the beach house, but he wouldn't tell her anything at all. She had a love-hate relationship with surprises. His surprises were always wonderful, but the anticipation always made her feel jittery. When they walked inside, the sun didn't have far to go before it slipped below the horizon. He sent her to the back porch with a gentle nudge.

"Wait for me outside, will you? I need to use the restroom." It wasn't entirely a lie.

"Sure."

Noah watched her walk outside, then made his way into the bedroom. He closed the door behind himself, running to his suitcase to fetch the ring and its box. He took the ring out of the little silk bag, placing it in the box once again before putting it in his pocket. It made his pants bulge out; he'd have to keep his hand in his pocket if he didn't want her to notice it. He rushed into the bathroom, checking his reflection quickly before making his way outside. He slowed himself down when he knew she could see him from the porch, forcing himself to breath calmly. He walked up beside her, leaning against the railing of the porch and looking out at the setting sun.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" she asked quietly.

Noah smiled to himself. She was giving him an easy way in without realizing it. "Yes, it is. Just like you," he said, turning towards her. He made sure to keep his right hand in his pocket.

Elsa looked out at the sunset, feeling suddenly shy. "Well, the dress helps," she said quietly.

Noah shook his head. He reached for her hand with his left, drawing her attention back to him. "It doesn't make a difference. You're always beautiful. You're beautiful when you wake up in the morning, hair tangled and spread out all over the place. You're beautiful when you feel like being lazy and you lounge around the house in a pair of sweatpants and one of my old t-shirts. You're even beautiful when you cry," he said softly, brushing a stray tear from her cheek with his thumb.

"I don't tell you nearly often enough, but I love you, Elsa. I love everything about you. I love the way you bite your lip when you're nervous. I love the way you arch your eyebrow when you're skeptical of something. I love your frown, and the fact that I can see you thinking when you're puzzling something out. I love the way you sing. I love it when your eyebrows scrunch together, how I can see you pour your heart and soul into a song." He paused, resting his forehead against hers, smiling. "I love your eyes, how stunningly blue they are, and the way they light up when something makes you happy. I love the way you smile, whether it's bold or shy or nervous." He pulled her close, putting his hand on the back of her neck and placing his nose by her hair, breathing her in. "God, I love the way you smell. It sets my blood on fire."

Noah pulled back, wiping another tear from her cheek. "I love all of you, Els, flaws included. The way I see it, you're perfect." He watched her eyes, soaking in the sight of them filled with love. It gave him a boost of confidence.

"You know, Els. I've been thinking. We've already made it through our first year of college. Time has just flown by. And if the first year went by this fast, the rest will too, right? I can't help but think it'll be over before we know it. I'm not sure where life will take us after college, but I do know that I don't want to let you go." He saw confusion in her eyes. "I want to ask you something, Els." His heart thumped loudly in his chest.

Elsa tilted her head to the side, unsure as to where this was going. "Okay…"

Noah got down on one knee, barely able to hold back a ridiculous grin when she sucked in a sharp breath. He held her hand gently, stroking the back of it with his thumb, watching her grip the porch railing tightly with her other hand.

Elsa thought her knees might buckle beneath her. She swayed slightly, gripping the rail as tightly as she could to steady herself.

"Els, I told you once that you've had my heart since I was eight. I meant what I said. I've known almost my whole life that you were the one for me. I couldn't imagine spending my life with anyone else, and I couldn't imagine spending it without you." Noah took a deep breath, pulling the ring out of his pocket and flipping the box open in one fluid motion. "Elsa, will you marry me?"

Elsa took a deep breath, forcing air into her lungs, tears flowing silently down her cheeks as she nodded. "_Yes_. God, I've wanted you to ask that for so long," she whispered. She choked out a laugh as he surged upwards, wrapping her in a hug that lifted her off her feet. She wrapped her arms around his neck, struggling to keep her tears in check. Noah set her down gently, pulling back enough to take the ring out of its box and slip it onto her finger. It was a beautiful ring. A large, square diamond sat in the middle, a row of tiny diamonds on either side of it, built into the band. She smiled up at Noah, her eyes fluttering shut as he leaned forward, pressing his lips against hers.

When he pulled back, Elsa drew in another deep breath. She couldn't seem to stop trembling. She put a hand on his arm, steadying herself. "I don't think my knees will hold me up much longer," she said softly, still trying to get her breath back.

Noah chuckled, sweeping her into his arms. He carried her inside, walking all the way to the bedroom and sitting her on the edge of the bed. He pushed her cardigan off her shoulders, tossing it unceremoniously to the floor before hooking an arm beneath her knees and laying her down gently on the mattress. He crawled on top of her, holding himself up on his elbows, one on each side of her. He placed his lips against her neck, kissing every inch of skin he could get to. Her breathing grew ragged, and she began tugging at his shirt, untucking it and slipping her hands underneath, running them along the smooth skin of his sides. He abandoned her neck in favor of her mouth, nipping her bottom lip playfully with his teeth, his brain going foggy with desire. He slid his tongue into her mouth, fighting back a shiver at the taste of her. He froze when he felt Elsa's fingers fumbling with his belt, the haze of passion suddenly evaporating. He caught her by the wrist, gasping for breath, but his mind clear.

"Hey," he said gently. "Look at me."

Elsa's eyes locked onto his, a few silent seconds passing before the reality of what she'd been trying to do crashed into her. She swallowed nervously. "Umm…" She blinked a few times, shifting her eyes away from his, barely holding back a wave of panic.

"Elsa," he said firmly. It was a few seconds before she finally looked back at him. "It's okay," he whispered. He rolled off of her, lying on his side and grasping her hand in his, weaving their fingers together. The sudden absence of the heat that had been filling Elsa's veins left her with an icy chill. She closed her eyes as a wave of tremors rolled through her. Noah let go of her hand and reached up to brush a strand of hair out of her face. He silently pulled her to him, rolling onto his back and drawing her to his side.

She was silent for a long time, trying to pull her thoughts together. Eventually, she cleared her throat, gently stroking Noah's side with her thumb. "Noah? What do you think about getting married next summer? Three years feels like a really long time to wait."

Noah laughed, the remainder of the tension in his shoulders finally leaving him. "It does, doesn't it? Next summer sounds wonderful," he said softly, placing a kiss on the top of her head.


	26. Forever Yours - Part 3

**And here's part 3! Sorry for the wait! Things will likely be slowing down with this story. I've caught up to my collection of oneshots for this, so I'm taking time to write some more. And as always, I like to proofread them them several times before I post, to catch most of the grammar mistakes, and reword things that sound weird. So there will probably be a longer gap between stories now, but I hope to keep putting out content. Anyways, enjoy this one! Hearts to all of you that have reviewed, read, and/or favorited! You're the best!**

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Forever Yours - Part 3

Elsa stared at the scenery as it flew by, absentmindedly twirling the ring on her finger, reliving every moment from the past few days in her mind. She didn't remember ever being happier. Her thoughts wandered to the night he had proposed, every perfect detail still fresh in her memory. He had told her yesterday that he'd been a nervous wreck almost all afternoon, but she hadn't noticed. He'd done a good job of keeping a lid on his nerves. She had been completely shocked when he bent down on one knee. She sighed happily to herself at that thought, leaning her head back against the seat. She grinned when Noah slipped his hand between the two of hers, threading their fingers together.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked, eyes still on the road, but a playful smirk on his face.

Elsa thought he probably knew, but answered him anyway. "You."

Noah gasped in mock surprise. "Seriously? You mean I'm the reason that adorable grin is on your face?"

She laughed, squeezing his hand tightly. "You're always the reason."

They fell silent, Elsa watching the trees give way to buildings. Not long after that, Noah turned off the highway, taking the familiar route back to his parents' house. Elsa felt nerves bubble in the pit of her stomach, but couldn't figure out what she was nervous about. Sarah and Jim probably knew that Noah was going to propose on this trip. And even if they didn't, there was nothing to be nervous about. Elsa bit her lip, trying to puzzle out her feelings. She finally decided that she was just excited…a nervous kind of excited.

When they pulled into the driveway, Noah exhaled shakily, letting Elsa know that she wasn't the only one who was nervous. She gave his hand another squeeze before releasing her seatbelt. Sarah was standing on the porch, waiting on them with a broad grin on her face. Elsa laughed and threw open her car door as soon as Noah stopped, ignoring his rule about letting him open it for her and running to Sarah. She wrapped her arms tightly around Sarah, burying her head against her shoulder. She held back a rush of tears, drawing in an unsteady breath.

Elsa pulled back, wiping a tear or two from her eyes. "How long have you known?"

Sarah smiled. "Since he bought the ring a few months ago."

Elsa looked over her shoulder at Noah, who was grinning sheepishly as he walked up the steps of the porch. "You had the ring for months and I didn't know?"

"Well, that would have ruined the surprise, wouldn't it?" He walked up to his mother and gave her a tight hug. He chuckled a little when she gripped him tighter, knowing that she was crying softly against his shoulder. "Mom, it's okay. Don't cry," he said, trying not to get choked up himself.

She wiped tears from her eyes as she released him. "I'm sorry. It's just…my baby's getting married." She stared at them for a few seconds before she composed herself. She smiled, stroking Noah's cheek. He grasped her hand tightly, holding it to his chest, a small smile on his lips. Sarah mentally shook herself, sighing. "Alright, I'm fine. Come on, come inside. Dad wants to take you both out for dinner. He'll be here in an hour or so, and then we'll leave."

Noah sat down on the couch in the living room, pulling Elsa down with him. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. A few minutes later, he finally remembered that he'd promised to let Kristoff know when they'd made it home. "Mom, is it alright if Anna and Kris come by for a minute?"

"Sure, dear," she answered, walking towards her bedroom to get ready for dinner. "Why don't you ask them if they want to come?" she called out.

"Alright." He pulled out his phone, sending Kristoff a quick text, telling him to drive over and mentioning that they could join them for dinner. He rested his head against Elsa's as they waited, unbelievably calm now that he'd gotten the first meeting with his mother out of the way. He was glad that she hadn't cried any more than she did; he wouldn't have been able to keep it together if she had. He reached up with a hand to stroke Elsa's cheek. "Anna doesn't know, by the way. Kris does. I told him a while back, but I told him to keep it a secret from Anna. She's a bit…excitable," he said, smiling when Elsa snorted with laughter. "I was afraid she would somehow let it slip if she knew."

"You're probably right." Elsa leaned into him, closing her eyes, unable to keep a silly grin off her face. She couldn't believe she was engaged. She kept fingering her ring, reminding herself that it was real and this wasn't a dream.

When they heard the sounds of a car approaching, Noah and Elsa walked outside to stand on the porch. Elsa clasped her hands behind her back, not wanting Anna to see the ring just yet. "Noah, why don't you go stand by the car with Kris? It'll save your eardrums." He chuckled, but nodded, jogging down the steps to meet Kristoff at his car. Anna got out and gave Noah a hug before making her way towards Elsa.

Anna wrapped her in a hug, smiling. "How was the beach? Did you have fun?"

Elsa pulled back, grinning. "Yeah, it was great." _I wish I could plug my ears…but that would look rude, wouldn't it?_

Anna narrowed her eyes, frowning. "You look a little too happy. Did something happen?"

Instead of answering, Elsa brought her left hand up in front of her face. Anna's eyes flicked across her hand before finally focusing on the ring, then went wide with shock. She squealed so loudly that Elsa jumped, pulling Elsa into a bone-crushing hug. Elsa laughed, looking over Anna's shoulder at Noah and Kristoff, who were both shaking their heads. Anna released her and then grabbed her hand, bringing it up close to her face to inspect the ring.

"Are you serious?! This is just— AHHH! I can't believe it!" She turned her head sharply to look at the boys. "Noah! Why didn't you tell me?!" She turned back around, not waiting for an answer and frowned at Elsa. "Why didn't you send me a text? You could have at least told me a little sooner!"

Elsa blushed, tugging her hand out of Anna's grip. "I was…uh…busy."

Anna sent her a knowing grin. "Ah, I see."

Elsa groaned. "Not…oh, come on! We didn't…" She broke off, glancing toward Noah and Kristoff before pulling Anna to the swing at the end of the porch. Anna was still grinning. "Gah, stop smiling like that. Seriously, we didn't…we didn't do anything." Elsa swallowed, heart pounding at the thought of what could have happened.

"There's a 'but' behind those words," Anna said playfully.

Elsa waved frantically at her. "Shh! Keep it down." She sighed, twisting her hands in her lap. "Something _almost_ happened. But, ah…Noah stopped me."

"Stopped _you_?" Anna said, eyebrows raised.

"Yeah." Elsa let out a bit of nervous laughter.

Anna shook her head. "Okay, start from the beginning. And tell me everything."

Elsa laughed, but complied. She described their day on the beach, their crazy cold-water swim, the fancy dinner he had taken her to. When Elsa got to the proposal, she tried hard not to get choked up. She told Anna what he'd said, smiling when Anna wiped a few tears away. "When he said he wanted to ask me a question, I kinda panicked. I really thought it was going to be something bad. I don't have a clue why. I guess it was the way he'd been talking, almost like something would happen and we'd never see each other again. I think he did it on purpose, so I would be surprised when he got down on one knee."

"Were you?"

"Never saw it coming," Elsa said with a smile. She continued her story, finally getting to the part that was making her nervous. She glanced around, making sure no one was near enough to hear them before continuing. "Anna, I just…my brain completely quit working. Everything was happening on instinct. I would have been okay, but the way he was kissing me…" She trailed off, embarrassed.

Anna grinned slyly at her. "Mind-numbing, toe-curling kind of good?"

Elsa shoved her with a shoulder, biting her lip to keep from laughing. "Yeah," she said softly. She let out a slow, nervous breath. "I couldn't think straight. Actually, I don't think I was thinking at all, let alone straight. I didn't realize what was going on until Noah caught me by the wrist." She flicked her gaze towards Anna, seeing her perplexed look. "I was going for his belt," she said quietly. Anna burst into a fit of giggles almost immediately.

Elsa frowned. "Fine, laugh at me."

The redhead clapped a hand over her mouth, trying to stifle her laughter. "I'm sorry…I just didn't think you'd be the one to start that."

"Me either."

After a moment of silence, Anna nudged Elsa with her elbow. "See, I told you he'd wait. No matter how hard it was."

"I certainly didn't make it easy," Elsa said sarcastically. "Anna…you and Kris haven't…" When Anna shook her head, she continued. "Not even close?"

"No," she said softly.

Elsa sent her an embarrassed smile. "Try to keep it that way. Trust me, it gets harder and harder to stop."

Anna placed a hand on Elsa's thigh. "Hey, it's alright. You didn't go through with it. And you don't have too much longer to wait, anyway. Unless you guys plan on torturing yourselves and waiting for years before you get married."

"No, we're thinking about next summer," Elsa said, smiling. It still felt strange, talking about this so casually. She'd been dreaming of this moment for a while now, but her dreams weren't even close to accurate when it came to how happy she felt. A year from now, she would be able to say she was married. That thought made a flash of panic course through her. _A year? Am I really ready for this?_ She glanced at Anna, uncertain.

Her panic must have shown on her face, because Anna gripped her by the shoulders. "Elsa…you'll be fine."

Just then, the guys walked up onto the porch. Anna stood up, wrapping Noah in another hug. Elsa shook herself out of her thoughts and went to give Kristoff a hug as well. He squeezed her so hard she thought he could have bruised some ribs. Elsa chuckled, wiggling in his grip. "Kris, can't breathe!"

"Sorry," he said, releasing her. He smiled brilliantly at her. "Congratulations."

"Thank you," Elsa said softly, moving to Noah's side and putting her arm around his waist. She leaned into him, letting his warmth sweep away her worries. Not long after that, Jim showed up, joining them all on the porch. There were more hugs given out, and then Elsa pulled him to the side for a moment. She'd just had a thought occur to her, nerves returning full-force.

She grasped Jim's hands tightly in her own, looking up at him shyly. She had to take a deep breath before she found her voice. "Would you…I mean, w-when the time comes, would you…walk me down the aisle?" she finished softly, tears in her eyes.

"Oh Elsa," Jim whispered. He pulled her to his chest, embracing her tightly. "Of course I will, sweetheart."

Elsa let out a sob, unable to hold it in any longer. She gripped him tighter, wishing there were words that could accurately describe how much he meant to her. She gulped in some air, trying to control her tears. She could sob in Noah's arms later tonight. When she pulled back, she was surprised to see a few tears in Jim's eyes as well. "Thank you. You don't know how much that means to me," she said softly.

Jim tapped the tip of her nose with a finger. "And you don't know how much _you_ mean to me."

Elsa gave him a watery smile, her heart filling with warmth. She wrapped him in another hug, wishing that she could have had this kind of father-daughter relationship growing up. Eventually, she pulled back with a sigh. She dried her eyes as best she could, walking back over to Noah. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, leaning down to whisper in her ear.

"You all right?" His eyes were full of concern.

Elsa smiled reassuringly at him, hugging him tight to her side. "Never been better."


	27. New Experiences

**Sorry it's taken me so long to post a new oneshot! I've had a lot going on recently. This one is pretty long, and there isn't as much fluff as normal, but from here on out, it gets waaaaay better. I've got a few more written, so I can post more often. So, without further ado, enjoy!**

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New Experiences

Noah grabbed one more water bottle, sliding it into the pack that Bear was wearing. He wanted to make sure that Bear had plenty of water to drink today. He and Elsa were both carrying their own as well. He had been wanting to take her on a hike in the mountains for a while now. He used to go hiking with his dad every summer, and oftentimes they would spend a weekend camping. He and Elsa weren't doing that this time around, but he still wanted her to see how beautiful it was up there. And like always, he had to bring Bear. The goofy dog always had such a good time on hikes, and he never minded having to carry his own water and food.

Noah opened his pack to check it one more time. They would only be gone for about half the day, but he had still packed quite a lot. Always better to be prepared, his dad said. So he had piled enough in their packs to last them all day at least, and he made sure that he had everything that he would need for safety. He never went hiking without his knife, and certainly didn't go without a first aid kit. Especially since the place he wanted to take Elsa followed a thin, winding trail with a steep drop-off, and ended up on a cliff. It was beautiful up there, and certainly worth the climb, but there were plenty of ways to injure yourself.

He made sure the car was locked, then placed the keys in his bag. He kept Bear on his leash until they got up in the trails. The dog was wagging his tail furiously, straining against the leash, almost begging to be let go. Noah chuckled. "Not yet, Bear. Just a minute."

Elsa made her way over to them from the bathrooms, shouldering her pack. Noah smiled when she walked up. "Are you ready now?"

"Yep. Which trail are we taking?"

Noah took her hand, walking them to the edge of the parking lot and towards a trail with a blue marker. "This one. It goes up to the top of the ridge. It gets a little steep in places, and the trail gets narrow towards the top. Think you can handle that?"

Elsa frowned at him. "Seriously? I jog with you every morning, and you've had me going to the gym for the last…what, year now? I think I can handle it."

"I know you can do it physically. I meant up here," he said, tapping his temple.

"Oh," she said. She gave him an uneasy smile. "I guess we'll find out, won't we? Now come on, we're torturing Bear."

As soon as they were out in the woods, away from the parking lot, Noah released Bear, letting him run free. The dog bounded ahead of them, running down the trail, barking at a squirrel as he passed. He was soon gone and out of sight. Elsa tilted her head to the side, a worried frown on her face.

"Does he normally do that?"

Noah tucked the leash in his pack before taking Elsa's hand again. "Yeah. He's our little scout. Don't worry, he never goes very far ahead, and he always comes back."

They hiked through the forest, gentle rises making it easy for first hour or so. Elsa was amazed at the beauty of the forest around them. It was densely packed with trees and foliage in places, and relatively sparse in others. Most of the trees were massive evergreens that had been there for years and years. They provided a good covering of shade, making the forest cool despite the warm temperature. Noah periodically pointed to a particular tree or plant, telling her its name, and occasionally, what it could be used for. His dad was a hobby botanist, and when they had hiked when Noah was a kid, it was always a learning experience. The result was that Noah knew almost every tree and plant in that forest by name.

"This one is a western redcedar," Noah said, pointing. He walked her over to the tree, fingering the leaves. "See how they look like scales?" Elsa nodded. Noah broke off a little branch, stripping the leaves and crushing them between his fingers. "Smell that." He lifted his fingers to her nose, letting her inhale the scent.

Elsa frowned. "It smells like pineapple."

"Very good," he said, smiling.

"Wait…it's supposed to?"

"Yeah. Only when you crush the leaves though. The wood doesn't smell like that."

Elsa shook her head slightly, chuckling. "You never cease to amaze me, Noah. I can't believe you remember all this stuff."

"Yeah, well, Dad's obsessed with plants."

They continued hiking, meeting up with Bear occasionally when they found him sitting at curves in the trail, waiting on them. Noah always paused to give him some water at those points, and made sure that they drank as well. He said that it was easy to get dehydrated when you were expending so much energy. About two hours into their hike, the trail finally started to narrow. The forest cleared, leaving their view open to the mountains around them. Elsa stopped at the edge of the trees, her breath catching in her throat. Noah walked up behind her, placing his hand against the small of her back.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" he asked softly.

"Yeah…wow…" Elsa said breathlessly. She stared out at the mountains for a minute before turning her gaze back to the path. She eyed the trail in front of them with a little trepidation. It looked incredibly narrow, and one side was a sheer drop-off. It wasn't very far to the ledge below at this point, but from what she could see, they would get farther and farther from it as they went up. She decided that the best course of action would be to keep as far away from the edge as possible.

They started up the open part of the trail, Noah forcing her to go in front so he could watch her. He didn't want to be constantly looking over his shoulder, wondering if she was all right. There were still a few random groupings of trees up here, but for the most part it was empty of plant life. The trail below their feet was dusty and worn from hundreds of hikers making the trek to the top.

Noah noticed that Elsa walked very close to the rock wall on their right, sometimes putting a hand out to touch the jagged surface. In places where the trail widened just a little to make room for a group of trees, she walked off the edge of the path among the trees.

"Els…you all right?" he asked eventually.

She stopped, turning to look at him. Her face was a little paler than normal. "Yeah, we're just…really high up."

He nodded, reaching for her hand to grip it tightly. "If you start to panic, let me know, and we'll sit down for a bit."

"Alright." She started off up the trail again, still keeping as far away from the edge as possible.

They continued their climb, Noah sighing at the beautiful sight before them. He loved the mountains. They were his favorite place to be. He was fondly remembering one of his first hikes with his father when a deep growl jerked him out of his thoughts. He turned his head sharply to see Bear in front of Elsa, teeth bared and a growl rumbling in his chest.

"Uh…Noah?" Elsa said uncertainly.

"Back up slowly, Elsa. _Now_," he said sharply. He dug his hand in his pocket, pulling out his knife.

Elsa backed up cautiously, looking over her shoulder a few times to make sure she wouldn't trip over anything. She made her way to Noah's side, clutching his arm tightly. "Why is he growling at me?"

"Hold on. And stay here," Noah said. He moved forward cautiously, inching his way towards his growling dog. "It's okay, Bear. I just want to look." He made sure to stay far enough away that Bear wouldn't bark at him. He shifted to the side, trying to see past the dog. Finally, he caught sight of what was making Bear so upset. A rattlesnake lay coiled in the warm rocks on the side of the trail a few feet ahead of them. It was a fairly large one, and it eyed them warily from its resting place, its large triangular head laying on a flat rock.

Noah slowly flipped open his pocketknife, keeping his eyes on the snake. Bear was still growling at him. "It's okay, buddy. I'm gonna kill it. Just please don't jump in front of my knife." He desperately hoped that Bear wouldn't move. He gripped his knife by the tip, raising his arm slowly, trying not to alarm the snake with a sudden movement.

"Noah?" Elsa called timidly.

"Shh." He bit his lip, still watching the snake. Quick as lightning, he swung his arm down, letting go of the knife. The snake didn't have any time to react. The knife thudded into the soft rock, right through the center of the snake's head. Noah let out a whoosh of air, running a nervous hand through his hair. Getting bitten by a snake certainly wasn't on his to-do list today.

Bear turned around at the sound behind him, walking up to sniff the still-quivering snake. He ceased growling, walking back to Noah's side and wagging his tail. Noah bent down and rubbed Bear's ears. "Good boy, Bear. Good boy. Thank you."

"Noah, will you please tell me what just happened?" Elsa said, a little angrily.

Noah stood up, grabbing her hand and tugging her forward. "This happened. Bear was growling at you to keep you from going forward, to protect you." He pointed to the dead snake in front of them. Elsa gasped and took a step backward. "It's alright, it's dead." He reached down to tug his knife out of the snake's head. Then he nudged his boot under the limp form and kicked it over the edge of the trail, watching it sail down to the ground about a hundred feet below.

"Y-you…did you _throw your knife_ at it?" Elsa asked incredulously.

"Yeah," Noah said with a shrug. When Elsa gaped at him, he chuckled. "I've been throwing knives since my father thought I was old enough to hold one. Have I really never shown you that?"

She shook her head, mouth still hanging open slightly. "I've seen you do crazy, flippy things with your steak knife, but I never…" She shook her head again, this time with amazement. "You're incredible."

Noah grinned at her. "I'll have to show you some target practice when we get back home. That was, oh, maybe ten feet. I can throw easily up to thirty feet, and sometimes forty if I concentrate and the conditions are favorable." He laughed when Elsa stared at him. He gave her a gentle nudge forward. "Come on, we're almost to the top."

They made their way slowly up the remainder of the trail, Noah keeping a close eye on Elsa in case she panicked. Finally, the path turned a corner and began to level out. Noah walked up behind her when the path was wide enough, grinning at the sight before them. This was always his favorite part. It was exhilarating being up this high. He walked past Elsa to stride across the broad clearing to the edge of the cliff. He stood there, head thrown back and a smile on his face, letting the wind whip at his clothing. He turned around to smile at Elsa, who was hanging back with a wary look on her face.

"Come on, come see this. I mean, if you want to," he said, motioning for her to stand beside him. "I promise I won't let you fall."

Elsa walked very slowly towards Noah, eyeing the edge of the cliff the entire time. Her heart was pounding furiously in her chest, but not in a good way. She wasn't sure if she liked this very much. She reached out to take Noah's hand, inching toward the edge. She gripped Noah's hand as tightly as she could, squeezing her eyes shut before she shuffled the rest of the way to the edge. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes. At first, everything was alright. She just looked straight ahead of them, staring out at the mountains. It _was_ beautiful. But then she looked down. The sheer drop below her feet made her head swim. She swayed on the spot, her ears ringing.

Noah could tell something was wrong. He put an arm around her waist and forced her to back up several steps, until they were in the middle of the clearing. "Hey! You okay?"

Elsa turned her head, blinking slowly at him. Her ears were still ringing, and they felt hot. Her vision started going black at the edges and her breath came in short, shallow gasps. "N-Noah…" she said shakily. And then the world tilted as her knees buckled, and everything went black.

Noah bit back a yelp. He barely stiffened his muscles in time to catch her weight before she hit the ground. He swallowed past a lump in his throat, feeling slightly sick. "Oh God, Els…" He pulled her pack off her shoulders and spread her out gently on the ground, tilting her head to the side and then sitting at her feet, propping her legs up on his knee. Bear came up to them, gently licking Elsa's pale cheek. He sat down right beside her head, nudging her with his nose.

"It's okay, buddy. She'll be all right in a minute," Noah said shakily, more to convince himself than anything. He shrugged his pack off his shoulders, grabbing a water bottle and a pack of crackers. He checked his watch, noting the time, and then watched the gentle rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. He ran a hand through his hair, angry with himself. This hike had been his idea, and he knew she had only gone up to the edge because he'd asked her to. He shouldn't have asked, after she had been so nervous on the way up.

After the longest forty-three seconds of Noah's life, Elsa finally stirred. He set her feet down gently and moved closer to her head. He reached out to stroke her hair back from her face. She opened her eyes blearily, blinking up at him. She felt heavy. She wanted to move, but her muscles felt like they were full of lead.

Noah let out a shaky breath. "God, Els, you scared me to death." He put a hand on her shoulder when she tried to sit up. "Whoa, hold on. Just lay there for a minute and then I'll help you sit up slowly."

She closed her eyes again, holding back the urge to vomit. "The world is still spinning, Noah."

"Just give it a bit. You'll be all right." He swallowed again, then took a sip of water, trying to calm his nerves. He grabbed her hand, threading their fingers together. "Well, now we know you're afraid of heights," he said, letting out a nervous chuckle.

"Nice way to find out," she said, her voice hoarse. She raised an arm to her head, covering her eyes with her forearm. Bear stuck his nose against her cheek, giving her a gentle lick with his soft tongue.

"Hey, you had to find out somehow."

Elsa let out a long, unsteady breath. "Yes, but I would have preferred being somewhere with railings." She opened her eyes, squinting up at the sky. She tilted her head slightly, looking at Noah out of one eye. She laughed when she saw him, until the amount of oxygen it took to accomplish the task made her feel lightheaded again. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"I just had to catch my fiancée as she passed out _on top of a cliff_. You have no idea how terrifying that was."

"Look, I'm fine. Just a little dizzy. A few more minutes and some water and I'll be perfect." She started to push herself up, Noah helping her with a hand against her back. She sat up as slowly as possible, blinking rapidly when the ringing returned to her ears. Noah scooted closer to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him gratefully. "See? Fine."

"Right," Noah said sarcastically. He handed her a bottle of water and set the pack of crackers in her lap. "Drink. And when you feel like it, eat. And then drink again."

"Stop being so bossy." Still, she followed his instructions, not surprised that she felt much better when she'd finished. "I think I can stand up now. Help me up?"

Noah stood, wrapping an arm under hers and across her back, hauling her slowly to her feet. He gripped her tightly, making sure she was steady. "Okay…no more high places for you. I'm not going through that again if I can help it."

Elsa nodded. "Me either. It's been forever since I last passed out, but I still hate the feeling."

Noah looked at her sharply, his eyebrows scrunched together. "You've passed out before?"

"Umm…yeah," she said quietly. She glanced at the ground, biting her lip. "I'm not sure you want to know why." Noah grabbed her gently by the chin, forcing her to look at him. She sighed at the look in his eyes. "There were a few times when…well, when I was beaten so badly that I passed out from the pain." She looked down once more, pale and nervous again, but for a different reason. "Only a few times, but…well, I remember them vividly," she whispered.

Noah let out a quiet growl. He pulled her to his chest, wrapping her in a tight embrace. He desperately wished that she'd had a normal childhood. One with a loving family who took care of her, instead of the bastards that she'd had for parents, who had beat her every day. He closed his eyes, pulling her close and weaving his fingers into her hair, holding her protectively in his arms. Bear came up beside them and nudged Elsa's leg with his nose. She chuckled, pulling back from Noah to rub Bear's ears.

Noah smiled. "He was worried about you."

"Not as much as you, I'm sure."

He stared at her intently. "No, not as much as me." Noah tangled his fingers into the hair behind her ear, stroking her cheek with his thumb. He pulled her gently to him, his lips tingling as they touched hers. He kissed her thoroughly, pulling her to his chest. He drew back after just a moment, resting his forehead against hers. "Please, don't _ever_ scare me like that again."

Elsa nodded, sucking in a few slow, deep breaths. "Can we go now? My knees don't like it up here."

Noah chuckled. "Yeah, we can go. But we aren't going the same way. There's another trail, one that's wider and less steep. And we'll get to the trees a little quicker, because there's more ground for them to grow on. It'll take a little longer to go that way, but I think it's worth it."

"That sounds nice. I like more ground. And less views of steep cliffs."

Noah smiled, grabbing her hand and starting towards the new trail. "Hey, at least your first hike was an adventure."


End file.
